25 May 2012

Polling stations close in Egypt

11:24 am on 25 May 2012

Polling stations have closed in Egypt after the second day of voting in the first free presidential election 15 months after Hosni Mubarak was ousted.

The BBC reports that if there is no outright winner, the two leading candidates will go into a run-off next month.

Those standing include several Islamists, as well as ministers from the Mubarak era.

Hosni Mubarak - whose 30-year rule was overthrown last February and who is on trial for ordering the killing of protesters - is said to be watching proceedings from hospital.

Counting of the votes has begun at some polling stations.

The results are expected to be announced by the middle of next week at the latest.

There are no exact turnout figures yet.

In all there are 13 candidates running and tensions rose between some of the main candidates on the final day of voting.

Amr Moussa and Ahmed Shafiq traded accusations, saying false rumours were being spread that each was about to withdraw from the hotly contested race.

Other candidates have also been accused of breaking "election silence" rules.