Egyptians choose president in historic vote
(AFP)
Updated: 2005-09-07 10:17

Egyptians are to choose a new president in their first-ever multi-candidate election, with incumbent Hosni Mubarak's only worry expected to be whether turnout will be strong enough to legitimise his victory, AFP reported.

Some 32 million Egyptians are registered to vote at 9,865 polling stations throughout the country between 8:00 am (0500 GMT) and 10:00 pm, although widespread apathy is expected to keep turnout low.

The election is taking place only under the supervision of 13,000 judges and the 10 candidates' delegates, after the supreme court at the last minute overturned an earlier ruling allowing independent observers to do their job.

Egyptians walk past electoral posters and billboards promoting Egyptian candidate and current President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo. [AFP]

According to independent estimates, turnout reached barely 10 percent in the previous elections won by Mubarak.

Previously Egyptians have only been able to approve a single candidate, but Mubarak -- who has ruled Egypt for 24 years -- introduced pluralist elections earlier this year under intense international and domestic pressure.

In 1999 Mubarak, 77, was re-elected with 93.79 percent of the vote.

With the four-term "rais" (the boss) at little risk of being dragged into a second round showdown with one of his nine opponents, newspapers have been rife with speculation on the turnout figure.

Official results are not expected for several days, although a Mubarak win would likely be confirmed before then.

The country's judges -- tasked with supervising the polling -- withdrew their threat to boycott the vote but warned they would not endorse the result if their demands for independence are not met.

After three weeks of campaigning, the fiery leader of the liberal Ghad party -- 40-year-old Ayman Nur -- emerged as the most serious challenge to Mubarak and his most virulent critic.

Although he managed to raise his profile as the leading opposition candidate, many observers predict second spot could be clinched by Numan Gumaa, who chairs the liberal Wafd party.

Critics have charged that Gumaa is a token opposition candidate who was prodded into standing by Mubarak's ruling party to strip Nur of votes.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said Tuesday he expected the country's first pluralist presidential election to promote democratic change elsewhere in the region.

Observers noted that despite restrictions on the opposition, the campaign was relatively fair and witnessed unprecedented freedom of tone in the media.

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