Egypt’s el-Sissi officially named president-elect

Ex-army chief Abdel Fattah el-Sissi was officially declared Egypt’s president-elect Tuesday evening after winning 96.9 percent of votes in Egypt’s presidential election last week, the electoral commission announced Tuesday, almost a year after he overthrew elected Islamist leader Mohammed Morsi.

Turnout in last week’s election, hastily extended to three days amid fears of low turnout, was 47.45 percent, said commission chief Anwar Rashad al-Asi.

Sissi’s rival Hamdeen Sabbahi won just three percent of the vote, excluding spoiled ballots.

Sissi’s lopsided victory had been certain, with many lauding the retired field marshal as a hero for ending Morsi’s divisive rule in July.

Yet the lower-than-expected turnout — Sissi himself had called for much more voters to come out — signaled that a wide segment of the population was apathetic or boycotted the election.

Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, crushed by a massive crackdown following his overthrow and detention, had boycotted the vote.

Some journalists and government employees erupted in applause and began dancing as the final results were announced at a press conference Tuesday.