Overview

• Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is expected to secure his third term in power in a Sunday presidential election that critics have called a sham, as global attention is focused on the bloody war in neighboring Gaza.
• Egypt controls the Rafah crossing, the sole remaining link between the Gaza Strip – which Hamas controls – and the outside world. Egyptian officials have played mediation roles in previous wars between Israel and Hamas.
• Despite the president’s high-profile election campaign, public sentiment is marked by frustration. Grievances regarding the economy are most evident.
• Egypt has been struggling to dig itself out of a debt hole that experts say requires structural reforms to avert economic collapse.
• The election takes place from December 10 to December 12. Results are expected by December 18.