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11 May 2012 Last updated at 11:11 ET

Egyptian expatriates have started voting in the first presidential elections since an uprising forced Hosni Mubarak to step down last year.

But electoral officials say fewer than 600,000 of the nearly 10 million Egyptians abroad have registered.

Many failed to do so because of difficulties in obtaining new identity cards, which are required to vote.

Voters in Egypt will go to the polls on 23 and 24 May. A run-off will be held in June if no-one wins 50% of the vote.

On Thursday, two of the front-runners took part in the first presidential election debate live on Egyptian TV.

Millions watched the head-to-head between Amr Moussa, the former head of the Arab League, and the moderate Islamist, Abdul Moneim Aboul Fotouh.

Each was asked a wide range of questions - from how their powers should be limited as president to ensure they did not turn into a dictator, to more traditional topics such as health and education.

Overall neither dealt a decisive blow against the other, says the BBC's Yolande Knell in Cairo.

But in a reflection of the political dynamic since last year's uprising, some of their sharpest attacks concerned issues of Islamism and links to Mr Mubarak, our correspondent adds.

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Expats vote for Egypt president