Newly sworn in Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has vowed to fight “those who choose violence, terrorism and extremism”.
Mr Sisi made this vow as he took oath of office for his second term on Saturday following his victory in the March poll where he won 97% of the vote but on a turnout of just 41% and an opponent who was his supporter.
Fighter jets flying overhead and a 21-gun salute characterized the day as Mr Sisi took his oath in parliament.
Sisi’s supporters say the president has brought much-needed stability in the country whereas his opponents argue that he has stifled democracy with arrests.
Smoke in the colours of the national flag released by Egyptian air force fighter planes engulfed the air as the 63-year-old president approached parliament in his motorcade.
Mr Sisi said he wanted to create a common space” for Egyptians and that only those “who chose violence, terrorism and extremist thought as a way to impose their will” would be excluded.
During his tenure, the president has faced a series of jihadist attacks that have left hundreds of military personnel and civilians dead, many of them in the northern Sinai Peninsula.
“Together we face economic, social and political challenges and their negative effects on all aspects of life,” he said.
Sisi was first elected in 2014, also with 97 percent, with a 47-percent turnout in the election.
He will be in office until 2022.
