Egypt’s landmark presidential election yesterday narrowed to a contest pitting a Muslim Brotherhood candidate against a Mubarak-era prime minister, the country’s electoral commission said.

Announcing the results, commission chief Faruq Sultan said: “No candidate won an outright majority, so according to Article 40 of the presidential election law, there will be a run-off between Mohammed Mursi and Ahmed Shafiq.”

The results confirmed preliminary figures announced by the Muslim Brotherhood, polarising a nation now forced to choose between a conservative Islamist and a symbol of ousted president Hosni Mubarak’s regime.

Egyptians went to the polls on May 23 and 24 in the country’s first free presidential election, made possible by the 2011 uprising led by pro-democracy activists.

Mr Sultan said Mr Mursi had won with 24.77 per cent of the votes, slightly ahead of Mr Shafiq with 23.66 per cent.

Nasserist candidate Hamdeen Sabbahi came third with 20.71 per cent, ahead of moderate Islamist Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh with 17.47 per cent. Former foreign minister Amr Mussa was fifth, trailing with 11.12 per cent.

The commission put the official turnout in the vote – the first since the 2011 uprising that ousted Mr Mubarak – at 46 per cent of the 50 million Egyptians who were eligible to cast a ballot in the historic election.

Both Mr Mursi and Mr Shafiq, who represent polar opposites in the country’s fragmented politics after last year’s uprising, are now trying to court the support of the losing candidates and their voters.

The Brotherhood, which alienated many other political parties after its domination of parliamentary elections last winter, has warned that the nation would be in danger if Mr Shafiq wins and has pledged to become more inclusive.