Morsy wins Egypt’s Presidency
Mohamed Morsy is set to become Egypt’s first elected President following
a historic election, brought about by an uprising that first expelled
the former dictator, Hosni Mubarak, and then paved the way for the
country’s transition to democracy.
As a nation gripped in suspense watched, Farouk Soltan, head of the
Supreme Presidential Election Commission, announced after a lengthy
preamble on Sunday that Mr. Morsy, the Islamist candidate belonging to
the Muslim Brotherhood, won a bitterly contested race. He secured 51.7
per cent of the vote, defeating Ahmed Shafiq, who got 48.3 per cent.
Cairo’s Tahrir Square, the ground zero of the revolution, filled by Mr.
Morsy’s supporters, erupted in elation as the message of their
candidate’s victory homed in.
For the next few minutes, a giant roar seemed to overwhelm the square,
where thousands waved the Egyptian flag, while some sought vantage
points to express their joy. Emotions, built on the bedrock of anxiety,
ran high as both candidates had claimed victory earlier.
Mr. Morsy’s supporters were particularly on edge after the recent
rulings by the generals negated much of their previous electoral gains.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) had earlier dissolved an
elected Muslim Brotherhood-dominated parliament, following a ruling by
the country’s highest court, which ruled that one-third of the People’s
Assembly had been unconstitutionally elected.
Sunday’s announcement was a giant moment for the Muslim Brotherhood,
whose candidate managed to scale the highest office of the land, after
80 blood-stained years since the group was formed.
Mr. Morsy’s victory is set to resonate in West Asia and North Africa,
where Libya is heading for elections next month, and moderate Islamists,
following the example of Turkey’s Justice and Development Party, have
triumphed in Tunisia.
Despite the euphoria that has followed the announcement, Mr. Morsy’s
task is cut out. The parliament has to be restored, for after its
contentious dissolution, the generals have grabbed all legislative
powers.
The SCAF has also stripped the president-elect of significant
political powers by adding a debilitating annexure to an earlier
constitutional declaration. The writ of the President, no longer the
Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, will not run over the Army, which
has, in effect, recast itself as a state-within-a state.
The drafting of a new constitution, on which hangs the promise of Egypt
becoming a civil state, is set to emerge as a new arena of conflict
between the Muslim Brotherhood and the SCAF.
Take By: The Hindu News
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