Go Forth and Vote, Egyptians Told, as Apathy Fears Stalk Ballot
- Egypt presidential election boils down to turnout for El-Sisi
- Higher oil prices, state controls may be too much of a burden
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Outside one Cairo polling station on Monday, a group of young men wore identical white T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan, “Egypt First: Go and Participate.” At others, voters were promised free food and juice.
On day one of Egypt’s 72-hour presidential election, authorities were scrambling to ensure a healthy turnout amid plenty of reasons for apathy. The sole challenger to incumbent Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi is a supporter of the president and didn’t even bother to campaign in earnest. While for millions of poor Egyptians, El-Sisi’s vision of economic hardship now in return for a better future is a hard sell.