Egypt votes on second day of landmark polls

CAIRO - The Associated Press

In a wide-open race that will define the nation’s future political course, Egyptian voted yesterday on the second day of a landmark presidential election that will produce a successor to longtime authoritarian ruler Hosni Mubarak.

Voters lined up outside some polling centers, but the morning turnout was generally weaker than the previous day’s, when long lines formed outside polling centers more than an hour before they opened. The government has given employees off to bolster the turnout.

The two-day vote marked the end of decades of authoritarian rule, although concerns remained that the nation’s military rulers who took over after Mubarak would try to retain influence.

No one is expected to win more than 50 percent of the vote in the first round, setting the stage for a run-off June 16-17 between the top two finishers. A winner will be announced June 21.

The generals who took control after Mubarak was ousted have promised to hand over power by July 1, repeatedly assuring critics that they have no wish to remain in charge.