CAIRO - Egyptian authorities have finally allowed observers of this week's presidential election to start work, monitoring groups said on Tuesday, too late for them to draw a full picture of Egypt's first genuine leadership contest.
Fair, trouble-free voting on Wednesday and Thursday would help the winner establish his authority after 15 months of turbulent military rule since the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak during a wave of Arab uprisings last year.There have been few reports of the violence and intimidation by hired thugs that helped secure crushing election wins for Mubarak and his allies for decades, and Egyptians are looking forward to a vote whose outcome is not a foregone conclusion.
