EGYPT: Former President Hosni Mubarak remains in hospital as country goes to the polls to choose his successor

Record ID: 862912

  • Title: EGYPT: Former President Hosni Mubarak remains in hospital as country goes to the polls to choose his successor
  • Date: 24th May 2012
  • Summary: CAIRO, EGYPT (MAY 23, 2012) (REUTERS) TRAFFIC DRIVING PAST 'INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CENTER' HOSPITAL SIGN FOR 'INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CENTER' TRAFFIC DRIVING PAST 'INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CENTER' HOSPITAL SIGN FOR 'INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL CENTER' HOSPITAL SEEN FROM MOVING CAR
  • Embargoed: 8th June 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Egypt
  • City:
  • Country: Egypt
  • Topics: Domestic Politics,People
  • Reuters ID: LVABCH7JXKP0895S98NW3QF2ETT8
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: 15 months after a street revolt overthrew Egypt's Hosni Mubarak, the deposed leader lied in hospital as Egyptians queued to elect his successor on Wednesday (May 23).
    After 30 years of dictatorial rule, Mubarak was overthrown by a popular uprising centred around Tahrir Square in Cairo in February 2011.
    In April of that year, after the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) took over his responsibilities as head of state, Mubarak was admitted to hospital in the coastal resort of Sharm el-Sheikh with what state media described as a ''heart crisis.'' He fell ill during an inquiry into the killing of protesters in the uprising and corruption in his administration.
    The former president was then moved to the 'International Medical Center' hospital on the Cairo-Ismailia Road on the outskirts of the capital.
    Mubarak's trial has been ongoing since August 3, 2011. A verdict is due on June 2.
    For the first time in six decades, the Egyptian people are voting in a presidential election whose outcome no one knows in advance. Voting will take place over two days from Wednesday (May 23) to Thursday (May 24).
    The election is a momentous sequel to Mubarak's overthrow. The military council in charge of a messy and often bloody political transition since then has overseen a constitutional referendum, parliamentary polls and now a vote for a president to whom it has promised to hand power by July 1.
    The revolutionaries of Tahrir Square may be reluctant to trust Egypt's future to Islamists or Mubarak-era politicians, but those candidates may appeal to many of the 50 million eligible voters who yearn for Islamic-tinged reform or who want a firm and experienced hand to restore stability and security.
    Unless one candidate gets more than half the votes needed to win outright, a run-off between the top two will take place on June 16 and 17. First-round results will be formally announced on Tuesday, but the outcome could be clear by Saturday.
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