Egypt’s Sisi Re-Anoints Himself President
by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org – Home – Stephen Lendman)
US War College-trained Abdel Fatah al-Sisi is a common thug, a ruthless despot, a Trump favorite.
He was illegally installed by toppling President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 by military coup, governing illegitimately, re-anointed for a second term.
He ran virtually unopposed, arresting or intimidating presidential aspirants from running against him.
Army colonel Ahmed Konsowa’s announced candidacy posed a serious challenge – eliminated from competing by arresting and imprisoning him on phony charges.
In December, a kangaroo military court sentenced him to six years in prison for “stating political opinions contrary to the” official narrative – for daring to challenge Sisi’s iron grip on power.
Sisi supporter Moussa Mostafa Mousa was enlisted to masquerade as an opponent, a failed attempt to give the farcical process a veneer of legitimacy.
Three days of voting from March 26 – 28 saw little more than one-third of registered Egyptian voters participating in the sham process, maybe less by inflating the official number – the result clear before polls opened.
Despite most Egyptians despising him, Sisi won with a 92% majority. He could have held power by any margin of victory he wished, the process orchestrated to re-anoint him, failing to achieve the desired turnout.
Bribing voters with food, amusement park tickets and other tricks failed to boost it above the sought 50% level. Promotional campaigns encouraging people to vote fell flat.
Most eligible voters abstained from a process rigged to assure Sisi holding onto junta power.
Governing by brute force and neoliberal harshness, he’s got it as long as Washington continues supporting him – for life if he wishes. Egypt is ruled tyrannically, not legitimately.
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