(24 May 2012) Ballots were already being counted on Thursday evening in Egypt after polling stations closed in the country's landmark presidential elections.
The polls closed at 9pm (1900 GMT) after two days of voting to choose a successor to replace the ousted leader Hosni Mubarak, in Egypt's first truly competitive presidential election.
One of the prominent secular candidates, former Foreign Minister Amr Moussa, visited a polling station three hours before voting ended, urging supporters to head to the polls if they had not already cast their ballot.
The last-minute call suggested exit polls may not have been going his way.
Murad Mohammed Ali, the spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohammed Morsi, said their candidate finished in first place, but declined to say what percentage of the vote he has won.
He told The Associated Press his claim was based on exit polls conducted by Brotherhood campaign workers nationwide.
His claim could not be independently verified, official results are not due before May 29.
The Brotherhood is hoping that a victory in the presidential race will seal its political rise since its long time opponent Mubarak was ousted on February 11, 2011 in a wave of protests.
The group won just under half the seats in parliament in elections held late last year, establishing it as the biggest political bloc.
None of the 13 are expected to win more than 50 percent of the vote to win the race outright, so a runoff will be held between the top two candidates on 16-17 June.
A winner will be announced 21 June.
The elections are being officially witnessed by a group of observers including US congressman, David Dreier, from California.


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