Cairo: It was about one year back that the Egyptians went for an election, and it is now they are going for election again. The country has witnessed sea changes in between the two elections. But the billion dollar question still remains: are they happy with the elections? Or the essence of the election has actually changed for the Egyptians? Will it give them what they have been fighting for?

The answers to these questions can be sought in the fact that voter turnout remains to be just 15 percent. If the scene at the polling booths remains to be same, the start of the democracy—if not the democracy as such—in Egypt seems to be imperfect.

It was the second day today of the long and complicated elections that will go into January finally. After the huge Friday demonstrations that counted about one million protesters, thousands continue to protest in Tahrir Square. The demand of the protesters is still the same: the elections should be postponed till they can be organized free of military rulers. Further they don’t find it proper for elections to be held in the backdrop of crackdown on protesters that took lives of as many as 42 people last week.

The complication of the situation is great. While few of the supporters of elections say large turnout is good and only the Tahrir protesters are not the whole Egypt; on the other hand, those on booths say it is their first election they are taking part in.

Other voters hold that it is better and pragmatic to have little democracy than not to have it at all. Some say they would continue to protest in Tahrir, but at the same time they would like to vote. It is like capturing what is available and to fight for the rest.

Many candidates were seen with campaign stuff at the booths overtly defying the orders. And the dominance of the Freedom and Justice Party (political wing of Muslim Brotherhood) could be felt with its overwhelming presence at the booths.Its people were engaged in establishing help desks and to assist voters in voting.

The party is expected to grab many seats in the first round of elections, results for which are expected late today.