Celebrations in Egypt as Mursi announced as president

CAIRO, Jun 24: Egypt's Supreme Presidential Electoral Commission (SPEC) has announced Mohamed Mursi as the new president. He obtained 52%, or 13.2 million of total votes.

The announcement comes amid high tension and strong presence of security forces in Cairo's streets, following the first presidential elections after the revolution that ousted dictator Hosni Mubarak last year. At press time, hundreds of thousands of Egyptians are celebrating in Tahrir Square and other cities.

Mursi stood against against Mubarak's last premier Ahmed Shafiq, who got 48 percent of total votes.

There have been widespread rumours that supporters of the two candidates may clash or react violently to the outcome.

Government institutions, schools and several embassies have either closed entirely or have let their employees return home early before the results are announced.

Thousands of Mursi supporters have been gathered in Tahrir Square over the last week, protesting new changes to the country's constitution and the dissolution of parliament.

Today's results would mean the end of the government of premier Kamal El-Ganzouri, appointed by the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) in December 2011.

According to the constitutional declaration, it will be relieved of responsibility on 30 June.

Mursi served as a Member of Parliament from 2000 to 2005, elected as an independent candidate because the Brotherhood was banned by Mubarak. He was a member of the Guidance Office of the Muslim Brotherhood until the foundation of the Freedom and Justice Party in 2011, when he was appointed its president.

He received his Ph.D. in Engineering from the University of Southern California in 1982, and taught at California State University for the next three years, before returning to Egypt to teach at Zagazig University in 1985.

Dipetik dari - Harakahdaily