prev
next
Muslim Brotherhood's Morsi named Egypt's President
Last Updated 4:41 p.m. ET
(CBS/AP) CAIRO - Islamist Mohammed Morsi was declared the winner Sunday in Egypt's first free presidential election in history, closing the tumultuous first phase of a democratic transition and opening a new struggle with the still-dominant military rulers who recently stripped the presidency of most of its powers.
In Tahrir Square, the birthplace of the uprising that ousted autocratic President Hosni Mubarak, joyous Morsi supporters wept and kneeled on the ground in prayer. They danced, set off fireworks and released doves in the air with Morsi's picture attached in celebrations not seen in the square since Hosni Mubarak was forced out on Feb. 11, 2011.
Many are looking now to see if Morsi will try to take on the military and wrestle back the powers they took from his office just one week ago. Thousands vowed to remain in Tahrir to demand that the ruling generals reverse their decision.
Timeline: Key events in Egypt's uprising and transition
In his first televised speech on state TV, Morsi called for unity and said he carries "a message of peace" to the world. He also pledged to preserve Egypt's international accords, a reference to the peace deal with Israel.
Israel jittery after Brotherhood victory in Egypt
He paid tribute to nearly 900 protesters killed in last year's uprising, saying without the "blood of the martyrs," he would not have made it to the presidency.
In a non-confrontational speech, he did not mention the last-minute power grab by the ruling military that stripped the president of most of his major powers.
Egyptian women shout slogans and wave posters in Cairo's Tahrir Square on June 24, 2012, celebrating the victory of Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi. Morsi won 51.73 percent of the vote in a deeply polarizing run-off against former prime minister Ahmed Shafiq.
/ MARWAN NAAMANI/AFP/Getty ImagesOn the sidelines of the political drama are the liberal and secular youth groups that drove the uprising against Mubarak, left to wonder whether Egypt has taken a step towards becoming an Islamist state. Some grudgingly supported Morsi in the face of Ahmed Shafiq, who was Mubarak's last prime minister, while others boycotted the vote.
Morsi will now have to reassure them that he represents the whole country, not just Islamists, and will face enormous challenges after security and the economy badly deteriorated in the transition period.
The elections left the nation deeply polarized with one side backing Shafiq, who promised to provide stability and prevent Egypt from becoming a theocracy. Because of his military career, many saw him as the military's preferred candidate.
In the other camp are those eager for democratic change and backers of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood who were persecuted, jailed and banned under Mubarak but now find themselves one of the two most powerful groups in Egypt.
The other is the ruling military council that took power after the uprising and is headed by Mubarak's defense minister of 20 years.
Just one week ago, at the moment polls were closing in the runoff election, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) issued constitutional amendments that stripped the president's office of most of its major powers. The ruling generals made themselves the final arbiters over the most pressing issues still complicating the transition- such as writing the constitution, legislating, passing the state budget- and granted military police broad powers to detain civilians.
"I am happy the Brotherhood won because now the revolution will continue on the street against both of them, the Brotherhood and the SCAF," said Lobna Darwish, an activist who has boycotted the elections.
Morsi, the 60-year old U.S.-trained engineer, narrowly defeated Shafiq with 51.7 percent of the vote versus 48.3, by a margin of only 800,000 votes, the election commission said. Turnout was 51 percent.
Egyptian protesters celebrate the victory of Mohammed Morsi, in the country's presidential election, in Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, June 24, 2012.
/ AP Photo/Khalil HamraAlso, a few days before that constitutional declaration, a court dissolved the freely elected parliament, which is dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood, leaving the military now in charge of legislating.
"The revolution passed an important test,"said Yasser Ali, a spokesman for Morsi's campaign. "But the road is still long."
Another Morsi's spokesman Ahmed Abdel-Attie said words cannot describe the "joy" in this historic moment.
- no previous page
- next
1/2
Popular on CBSNews.com
- S. Korea: N. Korea launches short-range missiles
- U.K. police announce new leads in missing girl case
- Photos of the Week 21 Photos
- U.N. panel: Sanctions delaying NKorea nuke program
- Drone technology myths, facts and future feats
- Russia strikes back after expelling alleged U.S. spy
- At least 12 killed in blasts targeting Iraq's Shiites
- Canadian earthquake jolts cities, felt in U.S.
Most Popular
-
01
-
02
-
03
-
04
-
05
Most Shared
Most Discussed
If you don't like it, lobby to change the laws.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
by earth5695
Americans ARE the reason why both wars ended.
-----
You completely dodged the question. thanks for proving my point, earth5695.
by facelessdrone2005 June 24, 2012
RepublicansRFiscalLibs, your name is well chosen. They are fiscal liberals, they always have $$$ to send other people's children to go fight wars and rebuild other countries. It's only their fellow Americans they have no pity for. Indeed, Israel can defend itself. I cannot imagine a more worthless ally. We prop them up with weapons and aid and get NOTHING from them in return. Oh yeah, they provide "intelligence" to help us in the wars we fight FOR THEM but otherwise they are a worthless ally.
Learn the facts, instead. Just a suggestion.
Unheducated people like yourself amaze me. It will be our problem a few years down the road when they also start producing nuclear weapons just like Iran. In fact you can point out Iran a Jimmy Carter failure to Egypt a Obama failure where Kissinger had built an ally in the region that has kept peaceful for the most part over the last 40 years. You are the perfect example of not only public education but there should be a test to be able to vote.
======
I have a masters degree from a private school. I am also aware of history, and what Eisenhower warned about.
Who CARES if they go nuclear?? There is only one nation in history which has used nuclear weapons - US. Besides, if it's a problem, let THEIR region take care of the expense both monetarily and in lives.
Of course, you won't understand that.
I guess it was a private school for rich kids who couldn't make it anywhere else.
Bush again???? Man was he ever more powerful than anyone realized.
====
No, just more STUPID than his supporters realized. And they still don't realize it, even though they were dumb enough to vote for him a second time even after he FAILED to protect the nation on 9/11.
.
What is really funny is the certanty with which the Obama haters speak, when most probably have never spent time in any of the countries they are talking about. As one who travels overseas regularly, the truth is that most people don't care about what we think or do, they are concerend about their lives and vote for whoever they think will improve them. Just like here. The fact that they may not know that they are voting against thier own long-term interests is not uniques to the mid-east. 50 % of our lower and upper middle class voters proudly do it every 2 years. (You listening Joe the wanna be Plumber?)
Well, Egypt is poor nation 4million are scavengers 2 million and more leavs on grave yards, and their goverment structure very poor and corrupt, i dont think they will reach at least proper goverment sturcture. They have only one parliment and one court wich miltary controlls. The counties and districts no democratic structure no lower house no sanate, it smilar to communist political structure. In this islamist party wins, they wher good at socially isue that is why Egyptian voted. In other hand the Arab Israel political slogan, that is why all those dictators survive and how it ended up killing their own people that page is closed. Finally Egypt isnt proper democratic nation still miltary controlls is just start, bad news for all Arab dectators i know they will have sleeping problem for months to come.