Egypt votes for 2nd day in presidential run-off elections

PanARMENIAN.Net - Egyptians are choosing between a conservative Islamist and Hosni Mubarak's ex-prime minister in a second day of a presidential run-off that has been overshadowed by the domination of the country's military, Belfast Telegraph said.

Going head-to-head in the run-off are Ahmed Shafiq, a long-time friend and self-confessed admirer of Mubarak, and Mohammed Morsi of the fundamentalist Muslim Brotherhood.

The Saturday-Sunday vote followed a week of political drama in which the military announced de facto martial rule and judges appointed by Mubarak before his ouster dissolved the freely elected, Islamist-dominated parliament.

The generals who took over from Mubarak 16 months ago are expected this week to spell out the powers of the new president and appoint a 100-member panel to draft a new constitution.

The race between Mr Shafiq and Mr Morsi has deeply divided the country, 16 months after a stunning uprising by millions forced the authoritarian Mubarak to step down after 29 years in office.

Few voters displayed an air of celebration visible in previous post-Mubarak elections. The prevailing mood was one of deep anxiety over the future - tinged with bitterness that their "revolution" had stalled, fears that no matter who wins, street protests will erupt again, or deep suspicion that the political system was being manipulated. Moreover, there was a sense of voting fatigue, Belfast Telegraph said.

Egyptians have gone to the polls multiple times since Mubarak's fall on February 11 2011 - a referendum early last year, then three months of multi-round parliamentary elections that began in November, and the first round of presidential elections last month.