CAIRO: Ex-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi won 96.9 per cent of votes in Egypt's presidential election, the electoral commission announced Tuesday, almost a year after he overthrew elected leader Mohamed Morsi.

Turnout in last week's election, hastily extended to three days amid fears of low turnout, was 47.45 per cent, said commission chief Anwar Rashad al-Asi.

Sisi's rival Hamdeen Sabbahi won just three per cent of the vote, excluding spoiled ballots.

Sisi's lopsided victory had been certain, with many lauding the retired field marshal as a hero for ending Morsi's divise rule in July.

Yet the lower-than-expected turnout, Sisi himself had called for much more voters to come out, signalled that a wide segment of the population was apathetic or boycotted the election.

Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, crushed by a massive crackdown following his overthrow and detention, had boycotted the vote.

Some journalists and government employees erupted in applause and began dancing as the final results were announced at a press conference Tuesday.