Turnout low in Egypt

CAIRO: The Egyptian government launched a determined effort to get out the vote on Tuesday after lower than expected turnout in a presidential election threatened to undermine the credibility of the frontrunner, former army chief Abdel Fattah El-Sissi.
“I was going to vote for El-Sissi because he will be the president anyway, and because I was grateful to him for removing the Brotherhood from power,” said Hani Ali, 27, who works in the private sector.
“But now I won’t go as I felt people are unhappy with the chaos of the past months and are not as pro-Sissi as I thought.”
Lines outside polling stations in various parts of Cairo were short, and in some cases no voters could be seen on Tuesday, the second day of voting. The polls closed at 10 p.m. (1900 GMT), an hour later than planned. It is the second time Egyptians are electing a president in two years, and it is the seventh vote or referendum since 2011.
The Justice Ministry warned Egyptians who did not vote would be fined and train fares were waived in an effort to boost the numbers. Local media loyal to the government chided the public for not turning out in large enough numbers.
One prominent TV commentator, a government loyalist from the Mubarak days, said people who did not vote were “traitors, traitors, traitors.”
Al-Azhar, a state-run body that is Egypt’s highest Islamic authority, said failure to vote was “to disobey the nation,” state TV reported. Pope Tawadros, head of Egypt’s Coptic church, also appeared on state TV to urge voters to head to the polls.
El-Sissi’s supporters see him as a decisive figure who can steer Egypt out of three years of turmoil. He became a hero to many for removing Mursi after mass protests against his rule.
“He is the head of the army, he is respected, he is not corrupt or a thief so a.m. voting for El-Sissi,” said Douaa Mohammad 34, mother of two, as she waited to vote in the Cairo working class district of Imbaba.