Egypt: Mohamed Morsi Elected President

June 25, 2012 — Egypy's military rulers announced results of the first freely contested presidential election on Sunday. Muslim Brotherhood candidate, Mohamed Morsi was declared the winner.

Mr. Morsi, 60, an American-trained engineer and a former lawmaker, now stands ready to become the first non-military figure to lead Egypt in generations. But 16 months after the military took over at the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, Mr. Morsi’s victory is an ambiguous milestone in Egypt’s promised transition to democracy.

After a week of doubts, delays and fears of a coup since a public ballot count showed Mr. Morsi ahead, the generals have showed a measure of respect for some core elements of electoral democracy — they have accepted a political opponent over their ally, former Gen. Ahmed Shafik, after a vote that international monitors said was credible.

But Mr. Morsi’s recognition as president does little to resolve the larger standoff between the generals and the Brotherhood over the institutions of government and the future constitution. Two weeks before their promised date for giving up power, June 30, the generals instead shut down the democratically elected and Islamist-led Parliament, took over its powers to make laws and set budgets, decreed an interim constitution stripping the new president of most of his power and reimposed martial law by authorizing soldiers to arrest civilians. The generals also gave themselves an effective veto over provisions of a planned permanent constitution.

As recently as Sunday morning, the capital was tense with fears that the panel of Mubarak-appointed judges overseeing the vote would declare Mr. Shafik president, completing a full military coup. Banks, schools and government offices closed early, fearing violence.

Tens of thousands of Brotherhood supporters and their allies against military rule had gathered in Cairo’s Tahrir Square for the sixth day of a sit-in demanding that the military roll back its power grab. The throngs hushed as radios in the square began broadcasting the election commissioner’s rambling speech to introduce the official results.

Then the moment came. The square erupted as the numbers came through: Mr. Morsi had won 51.7 percent of the runoff vote.

“Morsi, Morsi!,” the crowd chanted. “Down, down with military rule!” Small fireworks were set off over the crowd, and Brotherhood supporters streamed in, swelling the crowd to perhaps 100,000 by nightfall. In a carnival atmosphere, vendors hawked cotton candy or threw pieces of fruit into the laughing crowd.

After 84 years as an often outlawed secret society struggling in the prisons and shadows of monarchs and dictators, the Brotherhood is now closer than ever to its goal of building an Islamist democracy in Egypt.

Mohamed Morsi won 51.73% of the vote, beating former PM Ahmed Shafiq, the Higher Presidential Election Commission said. Speaking later in a TV address, Mr Morsi hailed a "historic day" for the nation, and said he would be a president for all Egyptians.

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