'Egyptians don't want Mursi or Shafiq'

I'VE been out and about today speaking to friends most of whom have decided not to bother voting.

The local polling station in Zifta has been very quiet, no queues.

Those who have gone to the last day of the polls were telling me the choice is the same as 'no choice'.

Most were voting for Ahmed Shafiq, saying that the Muslim Brotherhood would just cause more problems for Egypt, but that they really didn't want either him or Mohammed Mursi.

Lots told me they were going to the polling station, but only to spoil their paper in a protest that the choice had come down to two candidates they didn't want.

So it's impossible to tell who might win. If I was to guess, probably Shafiq.

The one thing everyone does want is to feel safe and secure again on the streets and in their homes and for the prices to come down. They want Egypt 'fixed'.

I've not had much time yet for shopping, but food and everything else has at least doubled in price, if not more.

People also fear for their jobs and the petrol and diesel shortages are not helping the economy.

OK, so I'm feeling the heat here in Egypt after a typical British early Summer!

So imagine my annoyance when the Egyptian security chief came on TV saying that anyone who was wearing anything that even slightly resembled an army or police uniform would be immediately jailed.

He added that offenders would be put in jail so fast nobody would know where they were.

There must have been some problem somewhere with people trying to impersonate the security forces…

There goes my baseball cap which is an unsuitable army-like sandy colour!

Ahmed Salem will be writing an exclusive blog for 7DAYSinDubai.com and 7DAYSinAbuDhabi.com from his family home in the Nile Delta throughout the elections in Egypt