Egypt’s landmark presidential election on Monday narrowed to a contest pitting a Muslim Brotherhood candidate against a Mubarak-era prime minister, the country’s electoral commission said.
Announcing the results, commission chief Faruq Sultan said: “No candidate won an outright majority, so according to Article 40 of the presidential election law, there will be a run-off between Mohammed Mursi and Ahmed Shafiq.” The results confirmed preliminary figures announced by the Muslim Brotherhood, polarising a nation now forced to choose between a conservative Islamist and a symbol of ousted president Hosni Mubarak’s regime. Egyptians went to the polls on May 23 and 24 in the country’s first free presidential election, made possible by the 2011 uprising led by pro-democracy activists. Sultan said Mursi had won with 24.77 percent of the votes, slightly ahead of Shafiq with 23.66 percent. Nasserist candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi came third with 20.71 percent, ahead of moderate Islamist Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh with 17.47 percent. Former foreign minister Amr Mussa was fifth, trailing with 11.12 percent.