LONDON: Expatriate voters wore national colors and tied the Egyptian flag to railings outside the country’s London embassy on Friday to cast their ballot ahead of the presidential election in Egypt later this month. President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has encouraged Egyptians to vote in the hope of securing a large turnout in the March 26-28 election, which he is widely expected to win. In 2014, the former army chief secured almost 97 percent of the vote but less than half of the electorate turned out, despite polling hours being extended to a third day. Many of his supporters came out early to cast their vote in at the Egyptian embassy in Mayfair, where organizers anticipate a high turnout throughout Saturday and Sunday. Mohammed Kilany, an Egyptian hotelier, made the five-hour drive from South Wales and took two days off work to come to London and place his vote. It’s “important to show support” he said. “All of the media are now against Sissi, but actually all of Egypt wants this to happen…they want peace and stability and they see this in Sissi.” Munira Namsha and her husband Dr. Sala Samra both voiced support for the incumbent Egyptian president. “I hope that President El-Sisi will win; I’m sure he will. Most of Egypt is 100 percent behind him, he is the one to bring the country out of this mad economic situation and fight terrorists,” she said. The race has been whittled down to two runners, Egypt’s standing President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who came to power in 2013, and Musa Mustafa Musa, chairman of the liberal El-Ghad party. Musa, who entered the race last-minute in January, is a vocal advocate for his electoral opponent and last year launched a campaign called “Supporters of President El-Sisi’s nomination for a second term.” “I’m sure that El-Sisi will win, he’s the only one we can trust. I don’t think the opposition matters at all,” Dr. Samra said. Overseas voting will run throughout the weekend for Egyptian expatriates, with ballot boxes in 124 countries around the world. Around 10 million Egyptians live abroad, accounting for a significant percentage of the country’s electorate. Of a population estimated at 96 million according to the World Bank, 60 million are eligible to vote. Despite his popularity El-Sisi has moved to halt any meaningful opposition, arresting several opponents and putting pressure on the media. The UN human rights chief last week described a “pervasive climate of intimidation” present in Egypt in the run-up to the election.