Egypt’s much-watched presidential election will cap a historic 15 months for the country and finally decide who will replace fallen autocrat Hosni Mubarak. Al-Arabiya describes the poll as “a ballot box struggle between Islamists who were oppressed by the deposed president, politicians who at some point were part of his government and liberals and leftists seen to have little chance of winning.” An initially crowded field has narrowed to a two-horse race between Amr Moussa, the urbane former head of the Arab League, and Abdel Moneim Abol Fotouh, a charismatic Islamist medic jailed for years under Mubarak, according to Reuters. A recent poll gave Moussa a slender lead, with the pair well ahead of the 11 other candidates and the most likely to face off in a second round vote in June. But analysts also warn against discounting the Muslim Brotherhood, who have reversed earlier pledges not to field a candidate.
Ballot Box Watch: Your Guide to May Elections
Global Spin previews the pick of this month's exercises in democracy