Egypt4u

Millions of Egyptians head to polling stations across the country Wednesday to cast their ballots in Egypt's first genuine multi-candidate presidential election.

Voters have 11 candidates to choose from, with several frontrunners leading recent independent polls: Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh, a former Muslim Brotherhood leader and centrist Islamist candidate; Ahmed Shafiq, ousted president Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister; Amr Moussa, a former Mubarak-era foreign minister and one-time secretary-general of the Arab League; Hamdeen Sabbahi, a Nasserist candidate with a recent surge in support from revolution-allied figures; and Mohamed Mursi, the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate.

Wednesday's and Thursday's first round of presidential elections, however, will not transpire without certain deep-seated worries. Ambiguities weigh heavy ahead of these historic polls, namely the fact that the new president could begin his tenure in the absence of a constitution determining his responsibilities and powers.

By most accounts, 30-40 million citizens (60–75 per cent of eligible voters) are expected to head to the polls on Wednesday out of a total of 53 million eligible voters.

The last time Egyptians went to the polls in September 2005 to vote, in what authorities sold as "multi-candidate presidential elections," the ousted president secured 87 per cent of the vote (6.3 million votes), thereby extending his long reign.

In November and December of 2011, more than 30 million Egyptians (60 per cent of eligible voters) participated in the country’s first post-revolution parliamentary election, which handed Egypt's Islamist forces – repressed for decades under the former regime – a deciding majority.

Day one of Egyptian presidential elections is in full swing; Click the link below to follow Ahram Online's live coverage for a blow-by-blow account of these historic elections (with photos) http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/42370.aspx

Live updates: Day 2 of Egypt's first post-Mubarak presidential elections

Millions of Egyptians are set to head to polling stations across the country for the second day running on Thursday to cast their votes in Egypt's first genuine multi-candidate presidential election.

The elections’ first polling day witnessed almost no reported violence and only a few violations, with the most brazen being by presidential front runner Ahmed Shafiq who held an illegal press conference at his lush villa headquarters in Dokki.

Mohamed Mursi and Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh also overstepped the mark by giving interviews ignoring the ban on eleventh-hour campaigning. Other violations included vote buying in Tanta; limited scuffles outside various polling stations; names missing from Nasr City voter lists; and reported bullying in Suez.

Although confirmed figures are unknown, analysts predict around 30-40 million citizens (60 -75 per cent of eligible voters) made it to their polling stations. This is high turnout comparable to Egypt's November parliamentary elections, which handed Egypt's Islamist forces – repressed for decades under the former regime – a deciding majority.

Certainly, as queues were still stretching around the block nearing close of play, the presidential electoral commission announced they would extend voting by an hour.

In well-to-do areas like Cairo districts Maadi and Heliopolis, designer-clad voters enjoyed free croissants and discount designer sunglasses if they did their national duty.

It was a somewhat different in the rural areas, with voter numbers appearing considerably lower. Two Upper Egyptian villages staged an electoral boycott in protest of months-long shortages of bread and cooking gas supply.

The surprise of the day was the voters' support of Mubarak's final prime minister Shafiq, a controversial figure who was ousted in February 2011 following popular protests.

Nevertheless, Shafiq did not enjoy blanket backing, some families of the revolution martyrs hurled stones and shoes at the presidential contender as he arrived to vote.

Voters have 11 candidates to choose from, with several frontrunners leading recent independent polls: Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh, a former Muslim Brotherhood leader and centrist Islamist candidate; Ahmed Shafiq, ousted president Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister; Amr Moussa, a former Mubarak-era foreign minister and one-time secretary-general of the Arab League; Hamdeen Sabbahi, a Nasserist candidate with a recent surge in support from revolution-allied figures; and Mohamed Mursi, the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate.

The last time Egyptians went to the polls in September 2005 to vote, in what authorities sold as "multi-candidate presidential elections," the ousted president secured 87 per cent of the vote (6.3 million votes), thereby extending his long reign.

Day Two of the Egyptian presidential elections; Click the link below to follow Ahram Online's live coverage for a blow-by-blow account of these historic elections (with photos)
http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/42581.aspx

The last time Egyptians went to the polls in September 2005 to vote

Have the Eyptians actually had a vote in the last 7000 years as to who rules them?

Actually a good question........very interesting actually........