Famed Egyptian activist Wael Ghoneim has blamed presidential candidates not associated with the Mubarak regime for failing to present a united front, resulting in the split of the public vote.

Posting on Facebook late on Thursday, the administrator of the 'We Are All Khaled Said' page said that candidates, not voters were the reason for the electoral success of former prime minister Ahmed Shafiq.

"It is not the peoples' problem that candidates not associated with the old regime [acted in such a way to] split their votes," Ghoneim wrote.

Initial polling results for the presidential election show Shafiq, a reviled figure for many activists, currently in second place. This sets the ground for a mid-June run-off against the Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi.

But Ghoneim also urged his readers not to lose hope, saying that the staging of elections was a positive development.

"For the first time in Egypt, there is a tough competition among presidential candidates and it will only end after the last ballot box is counted," he wrote.

"Also for the first time, there are contenders who tried hard to win approval and with people going to vote for them. Even the presidential candidates who lose have large numbers of supporters behind them."

Seven out of 10 Egyptian voters did not choose candidates linked to the Mubarak regime, he added.

Ghoneim, who publicly supported moderate Islamist Abdel-Moneim Abul-Fotouh in the election, said people should not fall in to despair.