Egypt’s Mursi Flashes Victory Signs against Ex-Regime Candidate

Sunday, 17 June 2012

Egypt’s Mursi Flashes Victory Signs against Ex-Regime Candidate

Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Mursi flashed victory signs as he waited to vote in Egypt's presidential run-off, but he faces an uphill battle against former regime cadres who have placed their hopes in his rival, ex-premier Ahmed Shafiq.

"I'm doing just great," he told AFP. "The revolution continues," he added to jostling supporters inside the polling station.

But in the wings, members of Hosni Mubarak's disbanded ruling party work and wait for a catharsis in a Shafiq victory.

Egypt's "revolution" -- a popular revolt that overthrew president Hosni Mubarak but left his defense minister in charge -- appears on the verge of ending with a Shafiq victory, even some of Mursi's supporters fear.

Mursi lost the province of Sharqiya, with its capital Zagazig, to Shafiq in the first round of the election last month. "It was rigged," says Ahmed Shehata, a Brotherhood member of the parliament annulled this week by the country's top court.

Shehata accuses Shafiq's campaign of bribing voters.

Egypt's electoral commission on Saturday extended polling by one hour on the first day of voting in the second round of a divisive presidential election run-off.

Polling stations will now close at 9:00 PM (1900 GMT) across the country.

More than 50 million eligible voters have been called to choose between Shafiq and Mursi. Official results are expected on June 21.