May 23rd, 2012
08:36 AM ET

Egypt makes history with vote for president

One of the world's oldest civilizations took a major step toward democracy Wednesday, as Egyptians began a historic vote for president.

Grandmother Nadia Fahmy, 70, was so determined to be the first one to vote at her polling station that she camped out in a plastic chair for two and a half hours before it opened.

"I am here to vote for the first time in my life," said Fahmy. "I want to vote for the first time. I want to see a new generation for my country. I want everything to change."

Other people told CNN they had waited up to four hours to vote as an atmosphere of enthusiasm swept polling stations in the capital.

FULL STORY

Filed under: Egypt
soundoff (54 Responses)
  1. Religious Dictatorship

    Break out your burkas, ladies, and prepare to cover up: The taliban are coming.

    How ironic is it that in free elections you vote for religious dictatorship and subjugation? Muslim Brotherhood candidate Muhamed Morsi leads the polls. To describe his religious views as rigid and economic views as unsophisticated is an understatement. In an impoverished nation of 81 million jammed along the Nile, twenty percent of whom are christian, this result will not turn out well.

    Good job, Obama and Hillary!

    May 23, 2012 at 9:11 am | Report abuse |
  2. saywhat

    Its there country and their choice. No body is to dictate how they guide their own destiny.
    We planted a dictator to brutally rule them for decades , feeding his security apparatus to perpetuate his rule and crush the voice of the populace.
    Time for us to stop meddling.
    Good morning all.

    May 23, 2012 at 9:44 am | Report abuse |
  3. banasy©

    @saywhat:
    Word.
    I especially like the Grandma who is voting for the FIRST TIME.
    If that doesn't say something, somebody isn't listening.

    May 23, 2012 at 9:57 am | Report abuse |
  4. saywhat

    Good morning @ banasy
    So aptly said.

    I always maintain that its time we start looking inwards. There is a lot wrong here. Our own elections are coming up. There is a whole load of work cut out for this nation to get us out of the mess our policies have created.

    May 23, 2012 at 10:28 am | Report abuse |
    • Religious Dictatorship

      Wow, the complete leftist lunatic fringe appears bright and early: Banasay, Chrissy, Saywhat, bobcat. You "report abuse" losers need to get a job and end your endless search for confirmation-bias in one another's concurrence.

      If you think the Muslim Brotherhood will be better than Mubarak, you're greater fools than I estimated, and I estimated pretty high.

      Time for us to start looking inwards? I've looked, and saw you, and it scares me to death. The outlook is bleak indeed.

      May 23, 2012 at 11:03 am | Report abuse |
    • banasy©

      Religious Dictatorship:
      Your name says it all.
      Does it make you feel better about yourself to call us "the report abuse losers"?
      I hope so.
      Wouldn't want your self-esteem slip a notch becayse someone doesn't agree with you.

      May 23, 2012 at 12:16 pm | Report abuse |
    • Mary

      Dictatorship? This whole "new blog" says it all. censorship of our so called *free speech* over fear for ruffling some feathers is quit evident here today.

      May 23, 2012 at 12:53 pm | Report abuse |
  5. Mary

    @ saywhat, What's wrong with the original head-ship arrangement of males and females even with with the realm of voting rights.
    I say, leave it up to the men as originally intended by God's decrees.

    May 23, 2012 at 10:36 am | Report abuse |
    • Mary

      Btw, to be clear, my 12:53 post is directed to all.

      May 23, 2012 at 12:55 pm | Report abuse |
  6. ©bobcat (in a hat)©

    It would be very nice to see them vote in a true democracy, but we all know that's really going to happen. Between the Islamic rule that is about to begin and the military, which by the way has never relinquised power, being the enforcement behind the throne, the Egyptian peoples, who thought under Mubarak they had a dictatorship, are about to realize the true meaning of that word.

    May 23, 2012 at 10:41 am | Report abuse |
  7. chrissy

    Good morning guys! And agreed @ saywhat, lots to fix in our own frontyard!

    May 23, 2012 at 10:45 am | Report abuse |
  8. Jeff Frank (R-Ohio) "Right Wing Insanity"

    Yes. This woman speaks volumes with her own free will. She's not a slouch, that plain doesn't get it. She's has a determination that sets her apart from the whinners that sit back and do nothing but complain and "expect" everything to be dished out to them. And chiefly the ones that don"t want to work and are "too lazy to even show up at the polls".

    May 23, 2012 at 10:45 am | Report abuse |
  9. banasy©

    When I'm seventy, I'll still be voting, but I damn well had better not still be working!
    Does. that make me "lazy"?
    Does that make me "one who expects to have everything handed to them"?

    Plenty to fix right here at home, all right, and one of them is the stupid two part system that pit person against person with their sweeping party generalizations.

    May 23, 2012 at 10:58 am | Report abuse |
  10. chrissy

    @ banasy, WORD, i am dreaming of the day i no longer have to work, and can just lounge around! Hope i live that long since ive already worked 8O% of my life!

    May 23, 2012 at 11:05 am | Report abuse |
  11. saywhat

    @ banasy
    Well said
    @ bobcat
    Had we not imposed a dictatorship on those people to serve our own agenda, the democratic process would have evolved. There are strong forces of moderation and intellectual capacity in Egypt, let the people of Egypt alone. As we would want for ourselves.
    @chrissy
    Good morning

    @ Jeff frank
    Sure we could learn a thing or two from that lady.

    May 23, 2012 at 11:09 am | Report abuse |
  12. ©bobcat (in a hat)©

    @ saywhat

    I agree 100% that they be left to their own designs. But if this doesn't work out the way they want, are they going to expect the US to remove the dictator of "their" choice ? If the islamic government imposes sharia law, in a literal translation of their quran, do you think the populace is going to be content with that ?

    May 23, 2012 at 11:46 am | Report abuse |
    • saywhat

      @bobcat
      As I said the process has to evolve. If its Sharia Law they want now , so be it.

      May 23, 2012 at 2:15 pm | Report abuse |
  13. chrissy

    Lol sure wish i COULD report abuse myself! Plenty of it goin on. And i have a natural affinity to being dictated to!

    May 23, 2012 at 12:23 pm | Report abuse |
  14. Mary

    I mean really, I can't even have a conversation without the other person being scared to answer me for *fear* of the ahem old -- bleaps here.

    May 23, 2012 at 1:00 pm | Report abuse |
  15. Justa

    Confuscious says, "s/he who smelt it dealt it". Speak your mind, Mary. Everyone else can, too. You can plainly see who is speaking to whom, and who attacks first. I can, at least.

    May 23, 2012 at 1:21 pm | Report abuse |
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