Egypt heads back to the ballot box

Voters are going to the polls in Egypt, in a highly-charged presidential election run-off.

Ahmed Shafiq, who served under ousted leader Hosni Mubarak, is going up against the Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsi for the top job.

Morsi is hoping to pull in votes from those worried about a revival of the old regime. He will become Egypt’s first Islamist president, if the poll goes his way.

Shafiq, who was Mubarak’s prime minister, has been cleared to run for president by supreme court judges – a decision that has sparked demonstrations.

The Islamist dominated parliament has also been dissolved.

The Muslim Brotherhood is describing the court decisions as a “full fledged coup.”

The continuing political turmoil in Egypt is also alarming investors, who fear the country is hurtling towards a financial crisis and currency collapse.

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