The overthrow of President Mubarak last year, followed by months of street clashes and political uncertainty, has made foreign firms reluctant to invest in Egypt.

On Wednesday 23 May, Egypt will hold the first round of its first post-Mubarak presidential election. So far, the results are far from certain with up to 33% of the electorate undecided on which candidate to support.

The disqualification of 10 candidates including three leading non-centrist politicians has narrowed the field to 13. This may have in the medium and long term reduced a potential source of serious national polarisation – however, this is not to deny that political polarization persists. (more…)