CAIRO - Egyptians go to polls on Wednesday morning to elect their new president after the fall of ex- President Hosni Mubarak last year.

The polling stations opened at 8:00 am (0600 GMT) across the country under tight security of police and troops. The vote is expected to be the most free and fair of its kind in the past 60 years in Egypt.

About 50 million eligible voters will select one from 12 presidential candidates. Top hopefuls include former Arab League chief Amr Moussa, Islamist Aboul Fotouh, Freedom and Justice Party chairman Mohamed Morsi and former prime minister Ahmed Shafiq and left-wing Nasserist Hamdeen Sabahy.