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On Friday, Egypt's Brotherhood said its candidate, Mohamed Mursi, was ahead of the pack of 13 candidates.
According to the Associated Press, Mursi is in the lead with more than 2.7 million votes, while former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq is following behind with 2.5 million votes and Hamdeen Sabbahi in third place. So far, only 56% of the votes have been counted. Final results of the first round are to be announced Tuesday.
According to latest statement by the Muslim Brotherhood, Mursi continues to lead in the presidential race after counting votes from 6,661 polling centers, of a total 131,100 centers, Al-arabiya news reported.
For his part, Essam al-Erian, vice chairman of the Islamist group’s Freedom and Justice Party, told reporters: "I'm very happy and confident that as first indications show, our candidate is leading."
Local and international analysts believe that the first round will not determine the leader, which will require a second round.
A run-off is scheduled for June 16-17 if one of the 13 candidates fails to gain the 50 percent needed for victory.
However, the presidential race is limited between five candidates: Amr Mussa, Ahmed Shafiq, Mursi, Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh and Hamdeen Sabbahi, Egypt's al Ahram reported on Friday.
On Thursday night, Almasri Alyom newspaper website reported that clashes between supporters of Egyptian presidential candidates Amr Moussa and Mursi have occurred at two polling stations in the north-west of the country.
Elsewhere, in the suburbs of Cairo supporters of Mursi fought against those who voted for Ahmed Shafiq.
"Shafiq's supporters and supporters of Mursi threw stones and glasses at each other as he drove away from the polling station," Reuters news reported.
On the first day of voting on Wednesday, a policeman was killed at Salah Salem elementary school polling station when he got caught up in a gunfight between supporters of two presidential candidates.
Another person was injured in the same fight, which erupted between supporters of Hamdeen Sabbahi and supporters of Mursi. The army intervened to end the clashes and to bring peace and calm to the polling station. |
