CAIRO: As reports of election violations begin to come in, Egyptians continued on Sunday to head to the polls to vote for the country's first post-uprising president. Voter turn-out appears to be low, although the campaign of the Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi said their numbers point to a higher turn-out than in the first round of voting in late May. For many in Egypt, the election is nothing but frustration, pitting a loyalist of the former regime Ahmed Shafiq, against the Brotherhood's Morsi. Many activists said the candidates give little hope to the future of the country. And after last Thursday's Supreme Constitutional Court ruling that dissolved parliament and paved the way for the return of former President Hosni Mubarak's cronies into political life, fears are growing that the democratic future built by the 18 days of protests that began on January 25, 2011, are waning. “I voted, yes, but I am so disappointed,” one middle-aged man told Bikyamasr.com on Sunday. His sentiments were echoed by other voters, who felt the election gave little options to the new Egypt. “I wanted someone else, but this is what we have to work with,” he added. Activists are currently calling for a “cleansing of the judiciary system” after the high court ruled that Shafiq would remain in the race, saying the “Azl” law, or political isolation, that barred former regime leaders from participating in politics would be revoked. The fear of Islamists gaining power was again a hot topic in the country, especially among the minority Christian population. In the first round, numerous Christian organizations put their support for Shafiq, citing worries that a Brotherhood victory would threaten the future of the minority religious group. “We are definitely worried about the Christian future in the country and that is why we want security and Shafiq is to give that to us,” said Farid, a Christian business owner in Cairo, referring to Shafiq's continuous statements saying he would give the country security within “24 hours of being elected.” Goodbye Revolution For many, Thursday marked the end of the revolution process. Many activists wrote on social networking sites, “Goodbye revolution,” showing their disdain for the military, who had only promised to remain in power for 6 months before elections would take place. Now, a year and a half on, two elections into the transitional process, and a court ruling has ostensibly nullified all the gains of the uprising, allowing former Mubarak officials to return to the political arena. The court's rulings on Thursday came as a shock to the country. While many had expected the court to allow Shafiq, Mubarak's Prime Minister during the 18 days of protests in January and February 2011, the dissolving of parliament was unexpected. And shocking to many who had participated in the democratic process in November and December to elect the new parliament, which had been in power less than 6 months. “I thought we were on the right path, but I guess we need more time and more effort to put pressure on the powers,” said one man in Tahrir, adding that he felt “bad for speaking out against the protesters in recent months. “For me, I was upset because I thought the country was heading in the right direction, but now I see they were right and they knew pressure was needed,” the man added. The court ruled that the “Azl”, or political isolation, law was unconstitutional much to the anger of hundreds of activists who had stationed themselves at the court early on Thursday chanting “void, void” in calling for the law, passed by parliament in April, to be implemented and a new presidential election be held. Acting as the country's executive power, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) amended the parliamentary elections law several times. At issue is the last amendment, which reversed an earlier stipulation that parties could not compete for single-winner seats in the elections that began last fall. Now with parliament uncertain and an election that has seen the former National Democratic Party (NDP) members come out from hiding to voice their open support for Shafiq, activists like Munir are frustrated, but the anger is not only with the protesters in Tahrir. “I spoke to a lot of people who had not liked us in Tahrir the past few months and they are now really supportive, because I think it will be the only chance we have to save Egypt and they know this,” activist Munir added. Many leading political figures in the country have called Thursday's moves a “military coup.” Former presidential candidate Abdel Moneim Aboul Fotouh said on Thursday evening the moves by the military junta were an obvious military coup. Leading opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei, who for months has called the entire election process without a constitution in place was a sham. On Thursday, after the court threw the future of Egypt into uncertainty, ElBaradei was quick to reiterate the point, while also warning against dictatorship, alluding to a potential Shafiq president. “Electing president without constitution or parliament means pres has powers unreached by most notorious dictatorships,” he said in response to the court verdict. And with an election to vote for the country's first post-revolution president, to give their oath of office to the military, on Saturday and Sunday, uncertainty seems to reign over Egypt at the present moment.
