Egypt passes its first test
Egypt yesterday hailed the start of its first post-revolution election as a triumph for democracy as more voters headed to the polls, boosting turnout for a vote that had looked in doubt last week.
"The birth of the new Egypt," declared the state-owned Al-Akhbar newspaper yesterday, the second day of voting, after the "huge turnout, free voting in a secure atmosphere" on Monday.
"The people have passed the democracy test," headlined the independent daily newspaper al-Shorouk, while the interim ruling military leaders expressed their "happiness" at proceedings.
Egyptians in Cairo and the port city Alexandria waited in long queues on Monday to cast ballots for a new parliament -- the start of multi-stage elections that are the first since the fall of Hosni Mubarak in February.
The arrival of people at polling booths was a steady stream yesterday rather than the deluge seen the day before.
"I decided to come today to avoid the crowds," 30-year-old Rafik told AFP in the Heliopolis area of Cairo. "It was important for me to vote because I feel it's the first time that my opinion is taken into account."
The formerly banned Muslim Brotherhood, a moderate Islamist group, is expected to emerge as the largest power, but without a majority, when results for the new lower house of parliament are published on January 13.
The backdrop to the vote was ominous after a week of protests calling for the resignation of the interim military rulers who stepped in at the end of Mubarak's 30-year rule. Forty-two were killed and more than 3,000 injured.
Protesters had again occupied Tahrir Square in Cairo last week, the epicentre of protests against Mubarak, but this time they were calling for the resignation of army leader Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi and his fellow generals.
The demonstrations stemmed from fears that the junta, initially welcomed as a source of stability after Mubarak's fall, was looking to consolidate its power and was mishandling the transition period.
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