Ex-pats begin the voting in Egyptian polls

Egyptian expatriates went to the polls yesterday to vote in the election to replace former leader Hosni Mubarak.

The first stage of the voting process came the day after two election front-runners, – one of Mubarak’s former foreign ministers and a moderate Islamist, – squared off in the Arab world’s first ever presidential debate. The two debated the role of religion and how to bring democratic reform to Egypt in an often fiery exchange.

The debate, which ran into the morning, pitted Amr Moussa, who served as Mubarak’s foreign minister for ten years until becoming head of the Arab League in 2001, against Abdel-Moneim Abolfotoh, a moderate Islamist who broke with the Muslim Brotherhood last year.

The two are among 13 candidates competing in the election, due to begin on 23 May. Mr Abolfotoh sought to taint Mr Moussa as a key member and supporter of Mr Mubarak’s regime. Mr Moussa, in turn, painted Mr Abolfotoh as beholden to the Muslim Brotherhood and hard-line Islamists.

“My point of reference is the nation, your point of reference is the Brotherhood,” 75-year-old Mr Moussa told his rival. He pushed Mr Abolfotoh to explain his stance on Shariah law.