For the people of Egypt, it was a historic day. The country held its first presidential race in which voters had more than one choice of candidate.
President Hosni Mubarak has ruled Egypt for 24 years. In the past, he was elected in yes-no votes without competition from other candidates. On Friday, the elections commission declared that Mubarak had won. But some people still charged that voters had been pressured to back Mubarak.
Many of his supporters downplayed the charges. Anas al-Fiqi, Egypt's information minister, said the elections would lead to "a future that realizes more freedom."
There were signs of change, however. Protesters marched freely against the president.