Egypt’s Sisi sworn in for third six-year term

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been sworn in for a third six-year term.

Al-Sisi took the oath of office before the parliament on Tuesday in the new administrative capital east of Cairo.

The former military leader, who became president in 2014, secured his third term in the December 2023 election by a landslide.

Ahmed Tantawy, the leading opposition candidate, pulled out of the race, citing intimidation and violence against his campaign camp.

Hazem Omar, the runner-up, secured only 4.5 percent of the vote cast.

The polls, however, were veiled by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza on Egypt’s eastern border, which has threatened to escalate into the wider Middle East.

In an address to the parliament, al-Sisi said Egypt has faced “challenges of unmatched magnitude and intensity” in recent years throughout its modern history.

He said the challenges were due to “internal destabilising attempts, global crises, and fierce international and regional wars”.

The Egyptian leader vowed to continue reforms and prioritise “protecting Egypt’s national security amid a turbulent regional and international environment”.

The new administrative capital, launched in 2015, is the flagship construction scheme in a string of mega-projects undertaken by the president.

But critics of his administration say his priorities are a costly extravagance at a time when Egypt’s debt has increased and prices have soared.