EGYPT: Voters line up in women-only polling stations to pick their president in a wide open election that pits Islamists against men who served under deposed leader Hosni Mubarak
Record ID:
860813
EGYPT: Voters line up in women-only polling stations to pick their president in a wide open election that pits Islamists against men who served under deposed leader Hosni Mubarak
- Title: EGYPT: Voters line up in women-only polling stations to pick their president in a wide open election that pits Islamists against men who served under deposed leader Hosni Mubarak
- Date: 24th May 2012
- Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (MAY 23, 2012) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SCHOOL WITH VOTERS QUEUEING OUTSIDE VARIOUS OF WOMEN WITH HEAD AND FACE COVERED STANDING IN QUEUE WOMAN SHOWING HER FINGER WITH INK AFTER VOTING VARIOUS OF SECURITY AT POLLING STATION VARIOUS OF WOMEN ENTERING SCHOOL TO VOTE VARIOUS OF ELECTORAL OFFICIALS VARIOUS OF WOMEN VOTING IN CLASSROOM WOMAN SIGNING IN TO VOTE WOMEN SPEAKING WITH PROTESTERS OUTSIDE POLLING STATION WITH PHOTOS OF MEN KILLED DURING THE REVOLUTION AGAINST FORMER PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS HOLDING PHOTOS
- Embargoed: 8th June 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Egypt
- City:
- Country: Egypt
- Topics: Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA5C1LZPPV761MZJ7UGN4TTKQO
- Aspect Ratio:
- Story Text: Large queues gathered outside a women-only polling station in Cairo on Wednesday (May 23) for the country's first free election.
The poll is a novelty in a nation where elections during the 30-year rule of former leader Hosni Mubarak were thinly attended rigmaroles in which the result was a foregone conclusion.
Women have separate polling stations or voting lines and booths to men in Egypt, a strongly patriarchal society.
But they are highly sought after voters with candidates making a last minute push for the female vote, after opinion polls indicated women made up a large portion of undecided voters.
Voters were blitzed by three weeks of official campaigning, which ended on Sunday, and Egypt held its first U.S.-style televised presidential debate.
None of the 12 candidates is expected to get more than half the votes and win outright in the first round on Wednesday and Thursday, and a run-off between the top two is likely in June.
Outside the polling booth, a small group of protesters held up photos of people who say they were killed during the overthrow of Mubarak.
Images of women often played a lead role during the uprising - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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