EGYPT. - After over three decades of living under the autocratic dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak, Egyptians today go out to vote in the run-off elections that are expected to help Egypt make that final and definitive transition.
Political activists, 27-year-old, Mahmoud Ismail told the New York Times, "This is the end stage of the whole transition...to be or not to be."
Saturday's election concludes the Egyptian uprising that took place in Jan. 2011, which ultimately led to the uprooting of former president Hosni Mubarak. Mubarak, who has been sentenced to life in prison for failure to stop violence during the revolution, is in a military hospital where his health continues to deteriorate.
Egyptians have two candidates to chose from: Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood or Ahmed Shafiq, Mubarak's former prime minister. Morsi, an Islamist represents the party that stood in opposition to the Mubarak regime; Shafiq, although has a secular stance, is a remnant of the authoritative regime.
The elections kicked off with a rough start when on the eve of elections protests broke out against the Supreme Court's decision to dissolve the democratically elected parliament that was dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood. The Court claimed that election, which was held in May, was illegitimate, thus fueling anger among many civilians. The Court also overturned the law prohibiting any official from the Mubarak era to take office.
The election is supposed to be a two-day event, after which the elected person will take office on July 1.
