Egypt’s Ex-Army Chief Declared New President

Egyptian First Deputy Prime Minister Vice and Minister of Defense, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stands in the Defense Ministry in Cairo, Egypt, 01 August 2013. Westerwelle is holding political talks with representat... Egyptian First Deputy Prime Minister Vice and Minister of Defense, General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi stands in the Defense Ministry in Cairo, Egypt, 01 August 2013. Westerwelle is holding political talks with representatives from the government and the opposition. Photo by: Michael Kappeler/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images MORE LESS
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CAIRO (AP) — The Election Commission says former army chief Field Marshal Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi won Egypt’spresidential elections by a landslide victory of 96.9 percent of the vote, with turnout 47.45 percent.

Anwar el-Assi, the commission’s president, said el-Sissi received 23.78 million votes, while his sole rival, leftist politician Hamdeen Sabahi, got 3 percent of the vote.

After the announcement, several hundred people gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square set off fireworks, cheered and sang pro-military songs.

El-Sissi’s victory was never in doubt, but the career infantry officer had pushed for a massive turnout as well to bestow legitimacy on his ouster last July of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi and the ensuing crackdown on his Muslim Brotherhood and Islamist supporters.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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