Egyptian vote set to revive strongman rule

Egyptians vote next week in an election expected to make former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi president, marking a revival of strongman rule three years after the downfall of Hosni Mubarak.
Widely regarded as Egypt's de facto leader since removing the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Mursi from the presidency in July, Sisi faces one challenger for the May 26-27 vote: Hamdeen Sabahi, a leftist defeated by Mursi in the 2012 election.
Sisi, who is expected to win easily, enjoys backing from Egyptians worn down by political unrest since the 2011 uprising that was driven by demands for social justice and freedom.
Though critics are deeply concerned by the tough political crackdown since Sisi deposed Egypt's first freely elected president, many still view him as a savior for ending Mursi's divisive year in office, which had triggered mass protests that led to his overthrow.
"His history in the military, positions of responsibility and role as an intelligence man mean he knows where our country's interests are," said Ahmed Arafa, 61, newspaper vendor in Cairo. "What concerns the people is security, stability, tourism, investment."
The vote follows the bloodiest chapter in Egypt's modern history. The state has killed many hundreds of Islamists and jailed thousands more, while militants have killed several hundred members of the security forces in ongoing violence, according to Reuters.