Egyptians wait to vote in an election expected to make former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi president in Cairo May 26, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

CAIRO -- Egyptian voters started casting their ballots on Monday across the country in the first presidential elections following the ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi.

Ex-military chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, who led Morsi's overthrow, and leftist leader Hamdeen Sabahy are the only two contestants in the race, which Sisi is poised to win.

Sisi enjoys overwhelming popularity since he removed Morsi last July after mass protests against his one-year rule. He is expected to make an easy victory over Sabahy.

The former military chief garnered a staggering 94.5 percent of the votes cast by over 300,000 overseas Egyptians in 124 countries last week, according to the election commission.

Egyptians, who cast their votes in 27 provinces nationwide, hope the new president would help restore security and stability in the turmoil-stricken country that saw the ouster of two presidents in three years.

More than 53 million Egyptians are eligible to vote in the most populous Arab country.

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