Egypt: Partial results show Brotherhood's candidate leading with narrow edge

The Associated Press

CAIRO - Partial results from Egypt's first genuinely competitive presidential elections showed the candidate of the powerful Muslim Brotherhood leading with a narrow edge in a five-way race.

This is likely to bring Mohammed Mursi to run-off elections scheduled for June 16-17 but leaves the question wide open as to whether he will win.

Egyptians voted Wednesday and Thursday to choose their first president after last year's popular uprising that ousted ruler Hosni Mubarak.

Contending for second place are Mubarak's last prime minister Ahmed Shafiq, moderate Islamist Abdel-Moneim Abolfotoh and leftist Hamdeen Sabahi, who marked a surprise last-minute surge.

Ballots from 18 of Egypt's 27 governorates had been counted by mid-morning on Friday.