The results of the first round of Egypt’s presidential election produced no clear winner and the remaining two candidates who will face each other in a run-off election next weekend have been described by some observers as a choice between an Islamist autocrat and a representative of the bad old days of military rule.

What happens in Egypt is of tremendous importance for the entire Arab world- Anthony Manduca

These fears may be somewhat exaggerated but are certainly understandable, and the choice produced by the first round of voting is without doubt a matter for concern.

The two candidates who will compete in the second round of voting are Mohamed Morsi of the Freedom and Justice Party – the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood (who got 25 per cent of the vote), and Ahmed Shafik, President Hosni Mubarak’s last Prime Minister and a former Commander of the Egyptian Air Force (who got 24 per cent of the vote).

Egypt’s revolution last year, following the change that took place in Tunisia, was a bright spark in the Arab world and Tahrir Square became the symbol of change, optimism and excitement sweeping across the region.

What happens in Egypt is of tremendous importance for the entire Arab world, which is why the choice of these two polarising candidates, one from the Muslim Brotherhood and the other from the ousted regime, is in fact so disappointing.

Unfortunately, Egypt’s moderate, liberal and secular forces – who played an important role in the revolution – were fragmented in the first round of the presidential election.

The top three centrist candidates, the mild Islamist Abdel Moneim Abolfotoh, the former Arab League secretary general Amr Moussa and the socialist Hamdeen Sabahi, who between them got 49 per cent of the vote, were all eliminated in last month’s vote.

Had all three decided to field a joint single candidate instead, then they would have almost certainty produced a second-round contender, but I’m sure there were historical reasons for this not happening.

Despite the unfortunate choice of second-round candidates, however, one must not underestimate what has happened in Egypt. A free and fair election for President, after decades of rigged elections, is a huge achievement in itself, especially since Egypt is such an important Arab country.

The presidential election was held a few months after the country’s first free and fair parliamentary elections, also an important achievement.

Furthermore, the likely victor in this next presidential round of voting will be the one who manages to widen his electoral base to include other elements of Egyptian society. So the Muslim Brotherhood’s Morsi will have to appeal not only to conservative Muslims but to also to secular liberals and socialists.

Likewise, Shafik cannot rely on only the backing of supporters of the former regime and the 10 per cent Christian population who are terrified of a Muslim Brotherhood victory, but he must also appeal to liberal secularists who also fear an Islamist President.

I am sure that intense political horse-trading has been going on since the results of the first round of the presidential election were announced, and will continue to go on up until next weekend’s vote.

The reality is that the secular liberal democratic elements in Egypt can determine the outcome of this election and these forces have an opportunity to shape the political agenda of the two remaining candidates in return for their support.

Needless to say, both candidates should be pressured into giving assurances of their full respect for the rule of law and constitutional government, as well as full rights for women and the Christian minority.

Both candidates have so far made some declarations aimed at occupying the centre ground of the political spectrum. Shafiq said he would work with a coalition government that could include members of the Muslim Brotherhood and people like Mohamed ElBaradei, the former head of the UN nuclear agency who played a role in the revolution and was sharply critical of the Mubarak regime. Morsi, on the other hand, has said he will respect freedom of expression and the right to protest, as well as full rights for Christians and women.

Such declarations are encouraging, but nobody really knows how either of these men will govern once in power. Will Shafiq be able to control the military, which he was once part of? And will Morsi be able to withstand pressure from the Muslim Brotherhood to introduce Sharia law?

After all, Islamist parties together control three quarters of the seats in Egypt’s Parliament, which will certainly exert pressure on a Muslim Brotherhood President to introduce Islamic law.

Whatever the outcome of this election I do not believe Egypt will now slip back into another dictatorship. The Egyptian revolution is not something that can simply fade away and many Egyptians gave their lives so that their compatriots could have a better future. They did not get rid of one dictatorship only to allow another to get in through the ballot box.

Yes, there will be many challenges facing Egypt and the building of its democracy will be a complex and slow process. There will no doubt continue to be a number of obstacles to be overcome before Egypt becomes a fully functioning democracy.

Whoever is elected President, however, must recognise the fact that compromise is an essential aspect of democracy. Without such recognition, Egyptian society will continue to polarised, and its fragile democracy threatened.