THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohammed Morsi was declared Egypt’s first democratically elected president, as the Islamist movement cast off decades of persecution to take the most significant step of its long rise to power.
Tahrir Square erupted in an explosion of noise as it was announced that Mr Morsi had defeated Ahmed Shafiq, a retired general and Mubarak-era prime minister, and would become the first leader not to be a Pharaoh, Sultan or General in Egypt’s history.
His victory came fully 16 months after the collapse of Hosni Mubarak’s dictatorial regime and set the seal on a rise to power for the world’s most important Islamist movement following years of its leaders being alternately feared, admired, jailed or killed.
In a televised address in which he praised the police and the army, Mr Morsi said: "I wouldn't be here today as the first freely elected president without the sacrifices of the martyrs", as he declared himself a "president for all Egyptians".
“I call on you, great people of Egypt ... to strengthen our national unity,” he said, adding that national unity “is the only way out of these difficult times.”
Mr Morsi also promised to “preserve all international treaties and charters... we come in peace,” adding “the revolution continues.” » | Richard Spencer, Cairo | Sunday, June 24, 2012
