HPEC to declare Poll’s First Round Monday

Egypt’s election committee will announce on Monday first round results of the presidential poll, an official said, after unofficial counts showed it would go to a run-off between the Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate and the last prime minister of Hosni Mubarak.

Four candidates have complained about the voting, including Hamdeen Sabahy, the leftist candidate shown in third place.

If no candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote, a run-off is held between the top two.

“Today we announce the results of the first round of the presidential election,” Hatem Bagato, the secretary-general of the electoral committee, told Reuters.

Asked if there would be a run-off, he said: “That would be part of the result announcement we will make today.”

The Brotherhood’s Mohamed Mursi is expected to compete with Ahmed Shafiq, Mubarak’s last prime minister who led the air force before joining the cabinet.