Baseera poll shows decline in Sisi voter base

Sixty-six percent of Egyptians said they would vote for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi should elections be held immediately, a Baseera poll indicated on Monday, marking a drop from an 81 percent voter base in a June poll.

Thirteen percent said they wouldn’t vote for Sisi and 21 percent said their decision would depend on the candidates running against him, the poll showed.

Fifty-one percent of young voters under 30 years old said they would vote for Sisi, compared to 81 percent of voters over 50 years old.

The president’s approval rating dropped to 82 percent this month, based on those surveyed, compared to a 91 percent approval rating in June, concluding Sisi’s second year in office.

The president's approval rating this month reached 71 percent among young people under 30 years old, compared to 89 percent among respondents over 50.

In June, the approval rating for Sisi reached 91 percent, according to a poll released by Baseera, less than a month after the research center revealed a decline in the president’s approval rating, placing it at 79 percent.

Baseera explained that the June poll was conducted after the EgyptAir plane crashed on route from Paris to Cairo in May, which may have increased the president’s approval rating, as studies have shown presidential support increases in times of crisis.

Price hikes were the main reason behind the decline in Sisi’s approval rating, the recent poll indicates, followed by the lack of job opportunities and the rise in dollar prices.

Meanwhile, the new Suez Canal project remains the president’s saving grace among those who approve of his performance, followed by an improvement in security and infrastructural initiatives.

The poll however showed that 73 percent of respondents did not listen to the president’s address on the anniversary of the new Suez Canal project this month.

The poll surveyed 1533 Egyptians over 18 years old across Egypt’s governorates on August 8-9, 2016.