...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011...
as "free and historic," despite the looming uncertainty.
"We have achieved a dream," read the headline on the state-owned al-Akhbar newspaper.
"On May 23, 2012, Egyptians went to the polls to choose their leader for the first time in their history, freely and without fraud," said the daily.
Photos of smiling voters waiting in line to cast their ballots were plastered on the front pages of most newspapers.
The election which sees 12 candidates vying to succeed Mubarak is in its second day, with results expected on Sunday.
Among the contenders is former foreign minister and Arab League
...an organization of Arabic-speaking states with 22 member countries and four observers. The League tries to achieve Arab consensus on issues, which usually leaves them doing nothing but a bit of grimacing and mustache cursing...
chief
Jerry Lewis doppelgänger Amr Moussa... who was head of the Arab League for approximately two normal lifespans, accomplishing nothing that was obvious to the casual observer ...
, who is seen as an experienced politician and diplomat. But like Ahmed Shafiq, Mubarak's last prime minister; he is accused of ties with the old regime.
The powerful Moslem Brüderbund's candidate, Mohammed Mursi, faces competition from Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh, a former member of the Islamist movement who portrays himself as a consensus choice with a wide range of support.
A run-off is scheduled on June 16 and 17 should there be no outright winner.