Egypt elects its first president in a rarefied atmosphere

Some 50 million Egyptians began to go from today until tomorrow at the polls in the first democratic presidential election in the country to decide who will succeed Hosni Mubarak, following his ouster following a popular revolt in February 2011.

Long lines began forming in the early hours at the tables in Cairo, where there is displayed a large security operation. For the elections were fitted 13,000 polling stations in 27 provinces.

Men and women vote separately and in many places the influx of women was higher than that of men, witnesses said. State television said it expected to increase voter turnout this afternoon, when public employees leave from work to vote.

In total, 14,000 judges and 53 NGOs are responsible for ensuring the cleanliness of an election on which some analysts and political parties projected the shadow of suspicion, and will be followed closely by the West and the Arab countries.

The elections were hold on tight, because the race is wide open to the presidency, as recent surveys have several options of the 12 presidential candidates, two of which belong to the Islamic.

The best position is the last prime minister Mubarak, Ahmed Shafiq, former foreign minister and former secretary general of the Arab League, Amr Moussa and Mohammed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood. If none manages to combine an absolute majority of votes, the two best placed will meet in a runoff in mid-June.

The first round of the presidential two-day, although the first results are expected until at least Friday. The final results will be announced on May 29.

The Supreme Council of the armed forces, who took power and established a transitional government after the overthrow of Mubarak, called on Egyptians to participate in considering this quote "first step" towards democratization. The military promised to hand power to the end of June and withdraw from politics.

Somehow, the elections are a form of revalidation on striking events experienced by the country over the past 14 months, since the outbreak of the revolution that toppled the regime of Mubarak. However, a victory Shafiq-unlikely-could slow the process of change and restore the old regime.

For its history and demographic and cultural power, the giant Arab trendsetter in the region, and its successful democratic experiment could inspire neighbors who are still under the slab stifling autocracy. In part, the fate of the "Arab spring" will be played under the hot Egyptian summer.

A POLICE KILLED

A policeman was shot dead outside a polling district of Shubra, Cairo, before the opening of the presidential elections in Egypt. According to security sources, the agent was shot when he was called outside the premises for a fight.

In a statement explained that the policeman was shot hours before the electoral opening in the middle of a fight between supporters of two presidential candidates. The Interior Ministry denied that the police have been killed while transferred voters list.