Celebrations in Cairo after a sweeping victory for former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in the presidential race.

(SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) where we are. We were on the road to destruction and thank God before our last breath, after a year we were sent Sisi. We passed this phase and God saved us. These elections, thank God these elections were Halal. No oil or sugar were given out. No money was given out. No forging of the ballots occurred. These elections are Halal."

A European Union observer says while the elections were free -- they were were not necessarily fair.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) HEAD OF EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT DELEGATION, ROBERT GOEBBELS, SAYING:

"I have to say as a man who went to many elections, that what I was able to observe were elections which were democratic, peaceful, which were free, but not necessarily always fair, because obviously one candidate had more means and more backing -- especially through the press -- than the other one."

Sisi, who