Egypt's Islamists Bolstered by Win at Polls

Cairo. Standing outside a small mosque in downtown Cairo, Abdullah Hassan says he believes that after decades of injustice and corruption, Egyptian politics is finally on the right track.

The 51-year-old computer technician supports the Muslim Brotherhood, the eight-decade-old Islamist group whose candidate won the opening round of Egypt’s presidential election last week.

"There are a lot of problems in this country,” said Mr Abdullah. "[They] are the answer.”

The victory by Mohammed Mursi marks a remarkable turnaround for the group, outlawed for decades until a popular uprising toppled long-time president Hosni Mubarak early last year.

Mohammed will enter a final round of voting on June 16 and 17 against former prime minister Ahmed Shafik.

If he wins, it would give the Brotherhood, which already controls the most seats in Egypt’s new Parliament, a stranglehold over the country’s nascent democratic institutions. (...)