Voters will during two days choose between Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi and Hamdeen Sabahi.

Millions of Egyptians begin voting today, May 26, 2014, in two days of a presidential poll that is widely expected to be won by retired military chief, Field Marshal Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi. The only other candidate is leftist politician, Hamdeen Sabahi, who finished third in the 2012 presidential election.

The election is another phase in Egypt's recent troubled past since the toppling of President Hosni Mubarak in the 2011 Revolution and the 2013 overthrow of Mohamed Mursi by the military. Meanwhile, al-Sisi took 94.5 per cent of votes cast abroad in earlier voting, officials said last week. At stake in the election is the restoration of security and revival of the economy after 10 months of chaos that followed the overthrow of Mohamed Mursi by Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi.

Aged 59, Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi resigned from the military last March in order to run for President. He was promoted from General to Field Marshal by Interim President Adly Mansour. He plans to develop agriculture, housing, education, impoverished areas and boost employment. He has also vowed to ‘finish’ the Moslem Brotherhood of Mohamed Mursi if elected.

Hamdeen Sabahi, 60, is a prominent left-wing politician and leader of the Egyptian Popular Current movement. He favours social justice, freedom and rights for citizens under a "civilian democratic system." He has promised an economic programme to address high unemployment and has also pledged to amend "unjust laws" if elected.