Cairo tensions rise on eve of poll

Violent clashes erupted between police and protesters in Cairo yesterday, leaving one demonstrator dead. The death, the first fatality since a truce agreed last week in Tahrir Square, occurred when an army vehicle ran over a protester.

The Interior Ministry said an army vehicle had accidentally hit 21-year-old Ahmed Sayed after the driver panicked during a confrontation with protesters. The victim was among hundreds who were attempting to block an entrance to a government building to prevent the Prime Minister-designate, Kamal Ganzouri, gaining access.

Mr Ganzouri's appointment sparked renewed clashes last week after protesters expressed fears that the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which is overseeing transition to democratic rule, was trying to retain power.

The clashes added to tensions on the eve of parliamentary elections to Egypt's lower house, due to begin tomorrow. The polls, which take place over three months, are the first since the fall of the former president Hosni Mubarak in February.