Egyptians begin voting in first post-Mubarak poll

CAIRO: Voting has begun in Egypt’s first parliamentary elections since the ouster nine month ago of longtime authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak.

The vote is a milestone many Egyptians hope will usher in a democratic age after decades of dictatorship.

But the ballot has already has been marred by turmoil in the streets, and the population is sharply polarized and confused over the nation’s direction.

Still, the vote promises to be the fairest and cleanest election in Egypt in the living memory.

Voters stood in long lines Monday outside some polling centers in Cairo well before they opened at 8 am local time, a rare sign of interest in political participation after decades of apathy.

Mubarak was ousted in a popular uprising in February.