President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt commenced his third six-year term on Tuesday (April 2) after securing re-election in December, where he faced minimal opposition.
El-Sissi was sworn in before parliament, which convened in the newly established administrative capital located in the desert outskirts of Cairo.
Egypt, having recently struck a deal with the IMF, is contending with an economic downturn. Additionally, the country’s dollar earnings from the Suez Canal have diminished compared to the previous year, partly due to Red Sea ship attacks by Yemen’s Houthis.
In his address to lawmakers, El-Sissi acknowledged the challenges posed by domestic terrorist threats, global crises, and regional conflicts. He emphasized the unprecedented nature and magnitude of these challenges in Egypt’s modern history.
During the December election, El-Sissi secured 89.6% of the vote, with a turnout of 66.8% among the over 67 million registered voters. His opponents were relatively unknown, providing little competition.
El-Sissi initially assumed power after overthrowing democratically elected Islamist Mohamed Morsi in 2013. He won his first election the subsequent year and was re-elected in 2018. Constitutional amendments approved in a general referendum extended El-Sissi’s second term by two years and enabled him to pursue a third six-year term.
