Egyptian poll rivals reach out to centre

The two surviving candidates in Egypt’s presidential election have appealed for support from voters who rejected them as polarising extremists in the first round, as they faced a new challenge from the third runner-up.

Ahmed Shafiq, Hosni Mubarak’s last prime minister, vowed he would not revive the old regime as he sought to cast off his image as an anti-revolution figure, while the Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate Mohammed Morsi reached out to those fearful of hardline Islamic rule.

The two candidates will have a tough battle wooing middle-ground voters amid calls from activists for a boycott of the vote.

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Adding to the uncertainty, Hamdeen Sabahi called for a partial vote recount, claiming there were violations that could change the outcome.

Mr Sabahi, a champion of the poor, came in third by a margin of 700,000 votes, leaving him out of the next round to be held on June 16 and 17.

Many Egyptians were dismayed by the early results, which opened a contest that looked like a throwback to Mubarak’s era – a rivalry between a military-rooted strongman promising a firm hand and Islamists.

Preliminary counts gave Mr Morsi 25.3 per cent, Mr Shafiq 24.9 per cent, and Mr Sabahi a surprisingly strong showing of 21.5 per cent.