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Egypt is gearing up for weeks of tension and uncertainty as the country's first round of landmark presidential elections produced a run-off between Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi and former regime prime minister Ahmed Shafiq. In what many described as a "nightmare scenario", which is expected to culminate in a violent second round, Morsi of the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party polled around 26 percent in the two-day first round while Shafiq, Mubarak's last prime minister, came second with 23 percent, in a total of 90 percent votes counted. Amr Moussa, the former head of the Arab League, who tried to capture the centre ground, was knocked out of the race for Egypt 's President. According to The Guardian, turnout was said to be around 40 percent of the 51 million-strong electorate. Although official results are yet to be published but a combination of exit polls, centrally collected data and reporting by the candidates appeared to confirm a dramatic runoff that many supporters of the revolution consider a catastrophic outcome."

Egyptians fear nightmare scenario following deadlock in first round of Prez polls