Egyptians were back to poll stations on Thursday in order to choose their first President after Hosni Mubarak who was ousted following a popular uprising last year.

Egyptians were back to poll stations on Thursday in order to choose their first President after Hosni Mubarak who was ousted following a popular uprising last year.

Polls opened again at 8:00 am (0600 GMT) for voters to choose among 12 candidates, with the major contenders are divided between Islamic candidates and some ministers during Mubarak’s era.

More than 100 voters were already queuing at one Cairo voting station when the polls reopened, Reuters news agency reported.

Voting in 13,000 polling stations takes place over two days in order to accommodate more than 50 million eligible voters.
If, as expected, no one gets more than 50 percent of the vote, a second round between the top two candidates will be held on June 16 and 17. First-round results may be clear by Saturday, but an official announcement is not due until Tuesday.

Turnout on Wednesday seemed lower than in an earlier parliamentary vote when Muslim Brotherhood and Salafist party an-Nour swept up most seats.
Long queues and a scorching sun deterred some voters, with many government workers would have delayed voting to Thursday, when they have a day off.

"I'm very happy because we'll be choosing our president. I came to vote last night but it was too crowded, so I'm back," AFP quoted Dina al-Badri, 26, as saying.
"I chose my candidate a while ago based on his programme, but everyone in my family is voting for someone else," she said.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, a policeman was killed at polling station when caught up in a gunfight between supporters of two presidential candidates.

The presidential race is limited between five candidates: former foreign minister and Arab League chief Amr Mussa; Ahmed Shafiq, the last premier to serve under Mubarak; the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohammed Mursi; independent Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh, who was a former member of the Brotherhood and Nasserist candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi.

The Brotherhood said its candidate, Mursi, was ahead after Wednesday's voting. Moussa's campaign office also put Mursi in the lead with the former League chief second.

Pollsters say many of the undecided voters who say they will cast ballots are likely to make up their minds at the last minute or be swayed by the candidate who has the best network in mustering votes.