CAIRO, June 17: Egyptians voted to elect a president freely for the first time on Sunday, making a daunting choice between a former general appointed by disgraced Hosni Mubarak and an Islamist who says he is running for God.

Many were perplexed and fearful of the future and signs were that, as in last month`s first round, millions would not vote.

The contest, pitting despotic ruler Hosni Mubarak`s last prime minister Ahmed Shafik against Mohamed Morsy of the Muslim Brotherhood, the veteran Islamic movement, is supposed to seal a democratic transition that began with dictator Mubarak`s overthrow 16 months ago.

But concern over a backlash among the disappointed losers saw the Interior Ministry put forces on alert across the country for the end of two days of voting at 10 p.m. (2000 GMT).

`We have to vote because these elections are historic, said Amr Omar, voting in Cairo, who called himself an activist of the youth revolution. Reluctantly putting aside misgivings about the Brotherhood`s religious agenda, he said: `I will vote for Morsy.

`Even if it means electing the hypocritical Islamists, we must break the vicious cycle of Mubarak`s police state.

Privately, officials from both camps suggested Shafik had edged ahead with two hours of voting still ahead.

After a baking hot day, many people preferred to cast ballots after dark.

The election comes amid a constitutional crisis and a stand-off between the ruling military junta and the propeople Brotherhood, which emerged from decades of repression under dictator Mubarak and previous military generals to sweep the parliamentary vote.

Those gains crumbled last week when senior judges, appointed under authoritarian Mubarak, ruled that election void and the ruling military council dissolved parliament.

Even the powers of the new president are unclear, though the military council was reported to be ready to awardhim some by decree this week once it knows who the head of state will be.

Outcome uncertain Egyptians massed in their millions against dictator Mubarak in January last year in the hope that his removal would end poverty, corruption and police brutality.

`Egypt writes the closing chapter of the Arab Spring, read a headline on Sunday in independent newspaper alWatan, which said the election offers a `choice between a military man who aborted the revolution and a Muslim Brother who wasted it`.

Many Egyptians may be staying away. But a sample of voter comments to Reuters near polling stations suggest many had put aside doubts about Shafik.

Waleed Mohamed, 35, voting in Cairo, said he chose Shafik, while his wife Hind Adel, wearing the full faceveil worn by some pious Muslims, has opted for Morsy.

`That`s democracy for you, she said. `Everyone has their opinion ... No one knows who will win. God knows.

Monitors and vote officials said turnout seemed lower on Saturday and Sunday than in the first round ballot but said many people would arrive later on Sunday when the summer heat has abated. Voting concludes at 10 p.m. (2000 GMT), following a lastminute extension to deal with expectations of late voting.

Uneven outcomes Morsy has the backing of a movement forged by decades of clandestine struggle and from Egyptians who have put aside qualms about Islamic rule to block a return of the old anti-people and despotic regime.

Many see Shafik as the front man of a murky military establishment determined to re-assert the power it wielded for six decades.

`Army rule is represented by Bashar al-Assad in Syria and represented in Egypt by Ahmed Shafik,` said Amr Reda, an international law professor voting in Cairo for Morsy.

`We have had enough ofmilitary rule.

Egypt`s 10-percent Christian minority has come out strongly for Shafik, fearing religious oppression in an Islamic state.

Should Morsy prevail, he may be frustrated by an uncooperative and undemocratic military elite, for all the generals` pledges to cede power by July 1.

The military rulers ordered the dissolution of parliament, in line with last week`s court ruling, an official said on Saturday. The decision enraged the Muslim Brotherhood, which said parliament could only be dissolved by popular referendum.

Dissolving the assembly `represents a coup against the whole democratic process`, the group said on the Facebook page of its Freedom and Justice Party (FJP).

On Sunday, state-run AlAhram newspaper`s website said the military would also issue a constitutionaldeclaration within 48 hours to outline the president`s powers, including appointing officials, calling parliamentary elections and outlining new rules for appointing an assembly to draft a new constitution.

Senior Brotherhood official Mahmoud Ghozlan, speaking to Al Ahram`s website, said the ruling military council did not have the right to issue a constitutional declaration or make rules on how the constituent assembly should be formed.

Showdown The Brotherhood hung back in the early days of the 2011 uprising and has sought to cooperate with the military`s gradual shift to civilian rule.

But its gathering showdown with the military leaves Egyptians, Western allies and investors perplexed by the prospect of yet more of the uncertainty that has ravaged the economy and seen sporadic flare-ups in violence.

A gunfight killed two in Cairo overnight and 15 were injured, after a dispute between street vendors, a security source said. There was no apparent connection to the vote.-Reutersmilitary rule.

Egypt`s 10-percent Christian minority has come out strongly for Shafik, fearing religious oppression in an Islamic state.

Should Morsy prevail, he may be frustrated by an uncooperative and undemocratic military elite, for all the generals` pledges to cede power by July 1.

The military rulers ordered the dissolution of parliament, in line with last week`s court ruling, an official said on Saturday. The decision enraged the Muslim Brotherhood, which said parliament could only be dissolved by popular referendum.

Dissolving the assembly `represents a coup against the whole democratic process`, the group said on the Facebook page of its Freedom and Justice Party (FJP).

On Sunday, state-run AlAhram newspaper`s website said the military would also issue a constitutionaldeclaration within 48 hours to outline the president`s powers, including appointing officials, calling parliamentary elections and outlining new rules for appointing an assembly to draft a new constitution.

Senior Brotherhood official Mahmoud Ghozlan, speaking to Al Ahram`s website, said the ruling military council did not have the right to issue a constitutional declaration or make rules on how the constituent assembly should be formed.

Showdown The Brotherhood hung back in the early days of the 2011 uprising and has sought to cooperate with the military`s gradual shift to civilian rule.

But its gathering showdown with the military leaves Egyptians, Western allies and investors perplexed by the prospect of yet more of the uncertainty that has ravaged the economy and seen sporadic flare-ups in violence.

A gunfight killed two in Cairo overnight and 15 were injured, after a dispute between street vendors, a security source said. There was no apparent connection to the vote.-Reuters