Pro-Military Fervor At Polls As Egyptians Vote
CAIRO (AP) -- Egypt's presidential election on Monday turned into a nationalist celebration at many polls with voters singing and dancing for the almost certain winner - former military chief Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who last year ousted the first freely elected president.
But the first day of voting in the two-day election also illustrated the bitter divisions that have riven Egypt since the military's removal of Islamist leader Mohammed Morsi. In towns where Islamists dominate, voting was often thin or non-existent.
The 59-year-old retired Field Marshal el-Sissi is looking for more than a landslide victory from the election. He's hoping for a strong turnout to show international critics that his July 3 ouster of Morsi reflected the will of the people - and to claim popular support as he tries to tackle Egypt's daunting economic woes.
For 10 months, el-Sissi has had the institutions of state and nearly all of Egypt's media behind him, whipping up a pro-military jingoism and depicting him as the sole figure who can rescue the country. After polls closed Monday, the prime minister declared Tuesday a holiday for government employees to allow them go to the polls, in a push for greater numbers.
El-Sissi's only rival in the race is left-wing politician Hamdeen Sabahi, who finished third in the 2012 presidential vote.
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