Considering that Egyptian leader President Sisi rules with an iron fist, jailing his opponents and cracking down on the press, it is hardly surprising that he secured 97 per cent of the votes in Egypt’s presidential election.

Lasheen Ibrahim, the head of the election authority, who is supposed to be an independent umpire, hailed Mr Sisi’s sweeping victory as a glorious moment for the country.



Hear Mr Ibrahim as he declared the election free and fair:
“These are momentous moments for this nation . . . which will be written in letters of light under the title: battle for the love of Egypt. The entire world heard your chants for the love of Egypt.”



During his presidency, the currency has halved in value and inflation soared to 40 per cent last year. More than a quarter of the population live on less than $1.50 a day.

Mr Sisi has also struggled to put down an insurgency in Sinai that has targeted foreigners, Christians and the security forces.