Muslim Brotherhood’s man Mohamed Morsi is winner of the just concluded run-off election in Egypt. Based on the election results released by the Egyptian Electoral Commission, Morsi took 51.7% of the votes compared to his rival Ahmed Shafiq who got 48.3%. The results came after a lengthy reading by the head of the electoral commission, detailing irregularities that according to him were later fixed before releasing the last results.

Tahrir Square got filled to capacity as followers of Morsi celebrated, dancing and waving the Egyptian flag as a sign of victory after more than 18-months since the Egyptian revolution began. With the current result, Egypt is welcoming a change in its political history by ushering in a democratically elected President, after decades of reign by Mubarak ended by the Egyptian revolution and incessant gatherings in Tahrir Square.

The results of the election was delayed for several days due to irregularities and uncertainty about the role of the Military influence on the results, when it announced a power move about a week ago, giving rise to allegation of back-room deals and presumed interference by the Supreme Military Council, in trying to decide the election results in favor of Ahmed Shafiq, who was a supporter of the ousted Egyptian former President Hosni Mubarak.

With the beginning of a new era in Egypt, it is unknown whether the choice of Morsi a Muslim Brotherhood member, means the beginning of a social conservative government and a rule based on Islāmic ideologies, which many think may end the secular nature of the state thereby, returning it to one governed by Islāmic law and principles; a move that in many ways, may damage the purpose of the 18-months struggle at Tahrir Square.

Born August 20, 1951, Mohamed Morsi is the first Salafi elected President of Egypt. He became the chairman of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) a brainwork of the Muslim Brotherhood, created as a political party after the Egyptian revolution of 2011 that saw an end to the reign of Mubarak. He later became the Presidential candidate for the May-June 2012 Presidential election after receiving enormous support from his party members and followers.

Morsi obtained a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Engineering from Cairo University; he then came to the United States where he received his PhD in Engineering from the University of California in 1982, after which he returned to Egypt in 1985. Morsi was a member of the Egyptian Parliament from 2000-2005; he got chosen for the position as an independent candidate because the Mubarak government barred the Muslim Brotherhood from running candidates for office at the time.

With the election of Morsi as the next Egyptian President, the people of Egypt have spoken with one voice; they have determined who should take the reign of power in their nation and while the outcome is yet unknown, perhaps, it is time to move the country forward and find a solution to the power struggle, likely to emerge between the Muslim Brotherhood and the Supreme Military Council. With office of the President stripped of most of its major powers by the Military and the freely elected parliament dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood now dissolved, there could be a return to Tahrir Square if there is no resolution to the lingering power struggle.

Dr. Adeyemi Oshunrinade [E. JD] is an expert in General Law, Foreign Relations and the United Nations; follow on Twitter @san0670.

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Categories: Foreign Affairs, Muslim Brotherhood, Politics

Tags: 2011 Egyptian revolution, Ahmed Shafiq, Egypt, Egypt's election results, Freedom and Justice Party, Hosni Mubarak, How Morsi won, Mohamed Morsi, Morsi, Morsi Declared President of Egypt, Morsi elected President, Muslim Brotherhood, New President of Egypt, President Morsi, Tahrir Square