Egypt set for historic presidential poll

23/05/2012| IslamWeb

Egyptians are set to vote in the country's first democratic presidential election.

Fifty million people are eligible to cast their ballots and voter turnout is expected to be high as two days of voting begin on Wednesday.

The election is the final phase of a tumultuous transition marred by violence, protests and political deadlock, overseen by the ruling military council after a popular uprising ousted longtime President Hosni Mubarak last year.

With none of the 13 candidates expected to secure more than half the votes to win outright in the first round, a runoff between the top two is likely in June.

Among the contenders is former foreign minister and Arab League chief Amr Moussa, who is seen as an experienced politician and diplomat but like Ahmed Shafiq, Mubarak's last prime minister, is accused of belonging to the old regime.

The powerful Muslim Brotherhood's candidate Mohamed Morsi faces competition from Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh, a former member of the Islamist movement who portrays himself as a consensus choice with a wide range of support.

Economy in focus

Campaigning has been intense in the weeks leading up to the poll, with newspapers carrying interviews and campaign adverts. Banners and posters festoon the streets.

The main issue for voters is the Egyptian economy, which was already stagnant before the revolution and has only gotten worse since.

Nearly half of Egyptians live at or below the poverty line, defined as $2 per day, and youth unemployment is 25 per cent.

The ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), in power since Mubarak's ouster, has called on Egyptians to turn out en masse to the polls, while warning against any "violation".

"The participation of citizens in the presidential election is the best guarantee of the transparency and security of the electoral process," Mohammed al-Assar, a member of the SCAF, was quoted as saying by state news agency MENA.

"We will not allow any violation or [attempt] to influence the electoral process or the voters," he added, saying that any person who broke the law would be treated "firmly and decisively".

The SCAF has vowed to hand power to civilian rule by the end of June, after a president is elected, but many fear its retreat will be just an illusion.

The army, with its vast and opaque economic power, wants to keep its budget a secret by remaining exempt from parliamentary scrutiny, maintain control of military-related legislation and secure immunity from prosecution.

PHOTO CAPTION

Mohammed Mursi, the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate in Egypt's presidential election, waves to his supporters during a campaign rally in Cairo.

Al-Jazeera