Cairo, May 28 - Egypt's Election Commission today announced that an Islamist candidate and a Hosni Mubarak-era politician will contest a landmark presidential run-off in June.

The second round of the historic elections is to be held between the candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood Muhamamd Mursi and former Prime Minister Ahmad Shafiq, who is also a former head of the Air Force.

Last week's voting was Egypt's first freely contested presidential election, which saw a turnout of 46 per cent.

Two of the defeated candidates earlier demanded a recount, citing violations, a claim rejected by the High Commission for Presidential Elections.

Commission head Farouq Sultan said today that Mursi and Shafiq finished as the top two candidates, with each receiving more than five million votes.

Earlier, Hamdin Sabbahi, the candidate from the leftist al-Karamah party who finished third, claimed that conscripts had voted illegally.

But his claim was rejected by the election commission. It acknowledged that there were some "shortcomings", but said they had not affected the result.

Another defeated candidate, former Brotherhood member Abdul Moneim Aboul Fotouh, had also filed an appeal with the commission.

About 50 million people were eligible to vote in the polls, in which 13 candidates were vying for the presidency.

The military body that assumed presidential power in February 2011 - the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) - has promised a fair vote and civilian rule.

Until a new constitution is approved, it is unclear what powers the president will have, prompting fears of friction, as military seems determined to retain its powerful position, the BBC reported.

The reactions to the results could be felt right away on social networks.

People who fear a theocratic state are pushing others to vote for Shafiq saying he is a military man and was never a member of the ruling party.

On the other hand, the fundamental revolutionaries are calling on people to back anyone but Shafiq. PTI