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AFP - Getty Images
Egyptian election officials count ballot papers at a polling station in Alexandria after polls closed Thursday.
Egypt's first free presidential election could be heading for a contest between an Islamist candidate and a former air force chief who was a leading member of ousted leader Hosni Mubarak's last government.
According to results from 25 out of 27 areas – put together by the Ahram Online news organization – Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Mursi was ahead with 26.48 percent of the vote, while Mubarak's former prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, was just behind at 24.74 percent.
Leftist Hamdeen Sabahy was in third, according to Ahram's figures, at 20.01 percent. They and the other candidates are vying for two places in a final run-off election on June 16 and 17.
Runoff may offer Egypt's voters two stark paths
Official results are not expected until Tuesday.
'I'm in shock'
Young Egyptian revolutionaries who helped topple Mubarak now face what they see as a dispiriting choice between a conservative Islamist and a hardline member of the old guard.
"To choose between Shafiq or Mursi is like being asked do you want to commit suicide by being set on fire or jump in a shark tank," Adel Abdel Ghafar wrote on Twitter.
In Egypt's elections, politics is a new family affair
Tareq Farouq, 34, a Cairo driver, told Reuters he was in shock. "How could this happen? The people don't want Mursi or Shafiq. We're sick of both. They are driving people back to Tahrir Square," he said, referring to the home of the long-running protest camp.
Voters lined up in Cairo to choose from five leading candidates: a socialist, two Islamists, and two with ties to former President Hosni Mubarak. NBC's Richard Engel reports.
This week's first-round vote has polarized Egyptians between those determined to avoid handing the presidency back to a man from Mubarak's era and those fearing an Islamist monopoly of ruling institutions.
'We want to live ... like human beings': Egyptians vote
The election marks a crucial step in a messy and often bloody transition to democracy, overseen by a military council that has pledged to hand power to a new president by July 1.
The second round threatens further turbulence. Opponents of Shafiq, Mubarak's last prime minister, have vowed to take to the streets if he is elected, Reuters reported. But to supporters, Shafiq's military background offers reassurance that he can restore security, a major demand of the population 15 months after Mubarak's ouster.
Israel nervous
Many Christians, who form about a tenth of Egypt's 82 million people, complained of discrimination in Mubarak's day, but were likely to have voted for Shafiq in preference to an Islamist.
A victory for Mursi, Reuters said, could worsen tensions between resurgent Islamists and the powerful army, which sees itself as the guardian of the state.
Egypt's elections: A struggle between secularism and political Islam
If Mursi becomes president, Islamists will control most ruling institutions – but not the military – in Egypt, the most populous Arab nation, consolidating electoral gains made by fellow-Islamists in other Arab countries in the past year.
"Now Egyptians will have to choose between the revolution and the counter-revolution. The next vote will be equivalent to holding a referendum on the revolution," Mohamed Beltagy, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood's party, told Reuters.
Israel has nervously watched the Islamist rise, especially in Egypt, its old enemy until a 1979 peace treaty. Mursi vaguely advocates a "review" of the pact, but the Brotherhood says it will not tear it up. Shafiq has vowed to uphold it.
The Brotherhood announced early on Friday that the run-off would be between Shafiq and Mursi after almost all votes were counted, Reuters said.
A member of Shafiq's campaign also said Mursi and Shafiq were in the lead, but that counting was not complete, Reuters reported. Aides to other candidates consistently put Mursi ahead but gave shifting tallies for second place through the night.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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- Jubilee treat: Canadian Mounties guard UK's queen
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- Analysis: How Egypt's election can transform the Middle East
Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world
Leave a Comment:
thank Allah the people were SMART enough NOT to give the Muslim Brotherhood an overwhelming majority EVEN IF the other candidate is Mubarek tainted BECAUSE Islamists do NOT even know what compromise, fairness, equality, and justice are. Once they attain power, even if by one vote, they impose Sharia law and being taking away all rights from women, minorities, and other religions. They also have an innate and mandatory hate for Israel. They NEVER compromise and they will NEVER allow free elections again, because they will set up religious councils, like Iran, that will determine who CAN run for office and who IS NOT WORTHY to run for office, basically turning elections into the kind the communists have. It is too bad the Muslim Brotherhood BROKE ITS PROMISE not to field a candidate but it is INHERENT that Islamists lie about everything UNTIL they seize total control. Just ask the Iranians.
Bill:
If Israel would accept Saudi proposal for recognizing Israel by all Arab Nations in exchange for free Palestine with tenaciously adjusted borders, things will overnight change and area can proceed with good spirit towards democracy and peace. But Israeli extremist with support of US Jews are blocking any progress. They want Palestinian to go out of there like Hitler used to say to Jews Go our of Germany and German control area, meant USA. But USA refuged to accept and rest is history.
No body is not worthy of office if people elect them, that is the philosophy behind democracy. Labor party control will be preferred by In USA but we got Nat and that is the way it is. Both leaders are not stupid and can lead Egypt to modernism except for few hard core Islams (settlers)
I agree. Israle does NOT want peace, and we keep buying their nonsense. Let them do what they want. They have to live in that neighborhood but we don't ahve to keep giving them billions of dollars. Same goes for Egypt. They threatened to throw out the peace treaty if we cut aid. Some peace treaty. More like paid off. With friends like this, who needs enemies. And yeah, politicians are the same everywhere. Say what they have to to get in. But, the difference is the US and the West have an entrenched tradition of abiding by election results and fair rules for not only getting on the ballot but ballot initiatives. No county in the Middle East except Israel, has any history of elections, separation of church and state, separation of powers, the right to protest, the right for civil disobedience. The fall of Mubarek was good. My guess is if the Muslim Brotherhood or any Islamic party gets in, they will be the new Mubarak. They will never leave office until the next popular revolution. But dictatorships squash all forms of opposition and protets, so it takes hundreds, if not thousands of years, to throw off oppression, and that is proven by history.
World of Warcraft is the archetypal way of getting the news for you folks? Please don't answer just go ahead a drink the cool-aid.
it appears Egypt will either have a radical Islam government or a extension of the Mubarak military government; so much for the Arab spring.
Allah.please help make sure the Brotherhood gets nowhere near power in Egypt.In your name they carry out pyscho criminal and very brutal actions.Before they were banned,in the name of Allah. keep it that way.Mubarek for all his warts wasn´t a brainwashed sharia nutcase.Also send a lightning bolt to kill the ayatollah clerics acting in your name in Iran.And in other places as well.If you are really the" All Merciful" show it...Put the Brotherhood and Sisterhood in their places.They shouldn´t be mixing in politics. Very bad for the Egyptian people, for the region.. and the whole world!!
Bart:
Can you pray that Christian radical in USA also do not get power.
Thank you
Oh yeah. I'm not only watching them, I'm speaking out AND voting against the people who want to make Christianity the law of the land. No thanks. I don't want a Christian version of Saudi Arabia or Egypt or Iran or Afghanistan. You are absolutely right, keep them out of office.
Assuming the election has not been rigged, it seems some people would prefer Mursi or Shafiq to the other candidates. If Shafiq is elected, hopefully he (Tareq Farouq, and others who would agree with him) will give him a chance before going back to Tahrir Square. I'd even give a chance to Mursi, give him a few months and see how it goes. After a few months or years, if they mess up and the country goes downhill again, then people can always go back to Tahrir Square ... or wait for the next elections and see who gets elected then (I don't know how long an elected president is supposed to stay in power in Egypt).
That is what free elections are about, whenever someone gets elected there is always a lot of people who are not happy about it but if you go into revolution mode every time there is elections it becomes a neverending (and bloody) situation.
Either way I wish them the best.
-------
GODGRAVITON
Oh yeah brrrrr they are so scary, I'm sure they would implement something similar to shariah law, and start stoning and beheading people, and also force people to pray and go to church.
Will the next dictator enter and sign in please.
Secularism is the magic word, elected politicians should run the goverment and clerics the mosque's. Went you altert this formula,you create a THEOCRATIC DICTATORSHIP like Iran, were one person (Suprene leader) determines all aspects of your live, what to wear, what to think, how to behave and finally how to have SEX.
So a free Islamic nation has a choice for President Islamist or Dictator. Hmmm. Let me think. How about neither. The "facebook" generation that created this revolution is scratching their heads. meanwhile, the Muslim Brotherhood, which is patient, intelligent and political is ready to take over. I do not criticize our efforts in Afghanistan or Iraq, we have done what we think was right. But given the results of those wars, and the Arab Spring, my guess is that we won't enter another Islamic brawl for a long time. Just keep watching your windows for the next plane to crash into your building.
Please don't take my sarcasm negatively. God Bless the military on a weekend like this and God Bless America. We are, despite our faults, the greatest nation in the world.
Well it looks like the People of Egypt have spoken where no candidate even has 30% of the vote. Sounds like the voters have no idea what they want. The top 2 which have about 51% of the vote will run off in June. Sounds exciting.
Alan-962575 et al
The Egyptian polling system was set up for multiple run off elections. There were eleven canidates, now there are two!
The problem here is who ever is elected has no constitutional frame work to guide them. Best guess is the muslim brotherhood will have Mursi in office. This will be a bloodbath. The Egyptian military will try to over take the government again. All the islamist in the Middle East and Africa will flood into Egypt to help set up the caliphate. A million martyrs will die but islam will take Jerusalem. We are now all hamas. We are non all hamas.
These muslim countries just dont get it. Egypt throws out the last regime and says it doesnt want Sharia Law nor any part of the old regime and what happens? The voters have caused a runoff between a fool who demands Sharia Law be instituted and the other guy is part of the old Mubarak regime. What can we expect of people who cant think by themselves? Fools they all are and they will reap what they vote for. To heck with such people who have little idea of what quicksand they are walking into.
Even if, and that's a big if, moderates win in Egypt, it is only a matter of time before the Muslim Brotherhood (MB)and like organizations, take over. You can bet your bottom dollar Egypt will never see a true democracy. Egyptians have not been free for over 5,000 years. It is not going to be free now.
What has changed though is the dynamics of the entire Middle-East. The MB will eventually control Egypt and Syria. Just as Hamas took freedom away from those that live in the West Gaza. In Lebanon, Hezbollah will never let the Lebanese people be a complete democracy. We are also witnessing Islamic extremists slowly taking over in Algeria and Mali. Libya is breaking apart. In fact over 225 have died in fighting in the last month alone. (Don't hear much about that in the press do you?). The only way Libya can be held together will be if a strong man (Qua daffy style) comes along. Unfortunately, this time it looks like the new dictator will be on the extremist side as well.
Then you have Yemen. Yemen (north and South) have been in at war with each other from 1970 - 2007. Both Yemen's united in 1994. However, the fighting continued at lesser levels between the two regions. Meaning a few groups did not accept Yemen being united. So, what does Obama and HR Clinton do? They decide to side with the few. End result - the civil war reignites only, with America placing US troops on the ground. Immediately BHO claims all the rebels are Al-qaeda connected. Not true at all. In fact most are the very rebels that were fighting for nearly 4 decades. Why would BHO side with the rebels? Because Saudi Arabia wanted him too!
Then, you have Algeria - Islamic extremists have battled Algerian security forces since 1992. Security forces gained the upper hand over the years, but sporadic attacks continue and increased dramatically in July of 2012. An estimated 200,000 people – civilians, insurgents and security forces have been killed since the violence began. Only now, because Algeria has been weakened so much, we see al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb not only making advances but pushing into Mali as well.
Bottom line to all the above: The most violent, then most extremist will eventually win out. While Muslims have brought this upon themselves, Obama was a definite influence as well.
Time4aPurge
Yours is an actual thinking voice, not a parroting echo. The events you have depicted are factual. Especially the long suffering Yemeni. When the man now in the Oval Office bowed to the saudi king, America lost more than self-respect.Obama has demeaned us, weakened our National identity, mocked our culture and endangered the lives of our Military personnel. unbama. nobama. nonbama. One I am sure BHO understands completely. La, la, la, la, la. labama. La is no in arabic.
The funny thing is you will find out that even when you get a new president nothing will change and the people will continue to blame them for everything. You need to attack the faceless men who control and advise the presidents if you want any real change. No matter who is in charge it's the same Military Generals that are feeding each party the same info and the same big companies that dictate the funding of their projects.