Egypt’s army tightens grip on power as Morsi victory is proclaimed

The Muslim Brotherhood declared its candidate, Mohammed Morsi, 60, had won early yesterday morning with 52 per cent of the vote, beating his rival Ahmed Shafiq, 70, president Hosni Mubarak’s last prime minister, who gained about 48 per cent.

If confirmed, the results would see an Islamist assume the role of president of the Arab world’s most populous country.

In a move that echoed the Algerian crisis of 1992, when an Islamist victory at the polls prompted the military to seize power in a coup, Egypt’s ruling generals issued a constitutional declaration granting them sweeping authority and rendering the new president a weak figurehead.

In a victory speech, Morsi thanked god, who he said “guided Egypt to this straight path, the path of freedom and democracy”. He promised he would serve all Egyptians, and sought to reassure Egypt’s Coptic Christian minority who are fearful of an Islamic takeover of government.

A spokesman for Shafiq, who is regarded by many as a remnant of the Mubarak regime, disputed the group’s claims stating that the former air force commander was “beyond all doubt” ahead of the Muslim Brotherhood candidate.

The spokesman said Shafiq had won between 51 per cent and 52 per cent of the vote. Official results are due to be announced on Thursday.

According to the constitutional amendments, the military council, which has controlled Egypt since Mubarak was toppled last year, will oversee the writing of the new constitution, as well as retaining legislative power.

Nathan Brown, a constitutional expert at the Carnegie Endowment for Peace Studies, said the constitutional declaration “really does complete the coup in many ways”. Last week, the supreme constitutional court ruled to dissolve the Islamist dominated parliament. A de-facto martial law extending arrest powers for military and intelligence police was also passed increasing fears of a power grab just weeks before a last minute handover of power.

At a press conference yesterday, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces sought to dispel fears of a military power grab. It reconfirmed that it would hand over power to an elected president by 30 June in a “grand ceremony”.

“No-one will return Egypt to the past, no matter who wins the presidency,” the generals stated, insisting that although the military will have the power to issue laws, the new president will have the right to veto them.

Supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood celebrated in Tahrir Square yesterday by dancing, waving flags and declaring the apparent victory of Morsi a victory for the revolution. The group, once a banned underground movement, has risen from the shadows to contend for the highest executive office in the country.

Yet many claimed the early celebrations were misguided. One local journalist tweeted that the military had dealt the Brotherhood a strong blow, as if to tell them “you can have your toy gun, but I’ll take out the batteries”.

If Morsi is confirmed as winner it sets the stage for a bitter confrontation between the army and the Brotherhood.