An annex in Shafiq’s headquarters in Cairo went up in flames late on Monday, hours after election officials announced the official results of the first round of the presidential vote on Monday, according to Al Arabiya.

A police official said eight suspects were arrested near the headquarters, a villa located in the middle class Dokki neighborhood, AFP reported.  But there were no abrupt reports of injuries and firefighters said the fire was quickly put under control.

Earlier thousands of  protesters had gathered in Cairo’s central Tahrir Square to  protest the results of the first round presidential vote.

In announcing the results on Monday, Faruq Sultan, election commission chief, said that “No candidate had won an outright majority, so according to Article 40 of the presidential election law, there will be a runoff between Mohammed Morsi and Ahmed Shafiq, ” Al Jazeera reported.

The results have split the nation, which now will have to choose between a Islamic conservative and a figure symbolizing the old hated Mubarak regime.

Candidate Hamdeen Sabahy came third with 20.7 percent, while moderate Islamist Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh follwed with 17.4 percent and  former foreign minister Amr Mussa was fifth with 11.1 percent.

Military rule is due to end when the military hands in power to the new president on July 1. Egyptians went to the polls on May 23 and 24 in the country’s first free presidential election made possible by the 2011 uprising. The two finalists of the first round are set to compete in a runoff on 16 and 17 June.