Egyptians celebrate in front of the presidential palace in Cairo after ex-army chief Abdel Fattah El-Sissi won 96.9 percent of votes in the presidential election. (AFP)

CAIRO: Ex-army chief Abdel Fattah El-Sissi, who ousted Egypt’s first freely-elected leader, will be sworn in as president on Sunday after he overwhelmingly won last week’s election, state media reported.

The electoral commission on Tuesday said Sissi won 96.91 percent of the vote with a turnout of 47.5 percent, nearly one year after he overthrew Islamist Muhammad Mursi.
His crushing victory over sole rival, leftist leader Hamdeen Sabbahi, had never been in doubt, with many lauding the retired field marshal as a hero for ending Mursi’s year of divisive rule 11 months ago.

Sissi will be sworn in at 0730 GMT on Sunday before the general assembly of the Supreme Constitutional Court, state news agency MENA reported on Wednesday, quoting Maher Sami, deputy head of the court.

The swearing-in ceremony will be attended by interim president Adly Mansour, prime minister Ibrahim Mahlab and his Cabinet, Grand Imam Ahmed Al-Tayeb of Egypt’s key Muslim institution, Al-Azhar, Coptic Pope Tawadros II, and other political and public figures, MENA said.

The ceremony will be followed by a reception to be attended by kings and heads of states in Cairo’s Ittihadiya palace, it said.