(Extra)Ordinary

A very ordinary shot for my personal record but which still represents an extraordinary day in the history of Egypt; a well-dressed woman leaves the non-descript polling station around the block from where we are staying on the last day of the election process to determine the country's first ever democratically elected head of state in 5,000 years.

No matter what you think about the hard or no choice on offer to the people in this second round of presidential voting, the fact remains that someone not supported by the ruling military dictatorship which has dominated Egyptian life since the army uprising more than 60 years ago, as represented by the military line of Naguib, Nasser, Sadat and Mubarak, may occupy the presidency before the week is out, although the precise powers still need to be defined in the new constitution.

You can argue the electoral system favoured some parties over others, or that behind-the-scenes machinations have amounted to nothing less than a counter-revolution, or that the new president will have a mandate from only 10% of the electorate but, at least, the people have spoken. You may also, in the words of one losing American politician, say, 'Damn them!', but their verdict should be accepted as a first step on the path to the country becoming acquainted with and establishing its democratic process.

And, surely, a president with a 10% mandate would be very unwise not to curry the favour of the remaining 90% before his term of office is out, and the voters of the moderate middle may be better organised and political savvy come next time. And the next time is due in 5 not 5,000 years!

This scene was quieter today after I had been turned away yesterday by an adamant armed policeman at the gate you see in shot. I am standing where the TV cameras and satellite dish had been set up but, today, the pavement was empty and no-one took a blind bit of notice of me. There's talk of demonstrations in Tahrir Square tonight by the boycott movement, and that the military are about to get up to more shenanigans on the constitution front. We shall see.

• NIKON D3X:
• f/5.6:
• 1/320":
• 66.0mm:
• ISO 250

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