World press on the election of Mohamed Morsi (June 23-25, 2012)

The election of Egypt's first democratically-elected president on Sunday is at the center of media attention. Morsi, the head of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, won in the presidential elections and defeated his rival, Ahmed Shafiq, a former prime minister under Mubarak, with 51.7 % of the vote. In an article entitled "Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi declared president of Egypt" the Guardian writes: "It is the first time that Egypt has been headed by an Islamist in the modern era, and the first time that a freely-elected civilian has come to power in the country."

In an article entitled "Mohamed Morsi named new Egyptian president" the Washington Post writes: "Mohamed Morsi’s victory represented a watershed moment for Egyptian Islamists, who were tortured and repressed during decades of autocratic regimes, and it sparked jubilant celebrations in Tahrir Square, the heart of the revolution. But the result raised as many questions as it answered. Morsi will assume a position that was recently weakened by Egypt’s ruling generals through a constitutional decree. And he will not have the backing of the country’s Islamist-dominated parliament, which was dissolved by a court order. It also remains uncertain whether the low-key, little-known Morsi can serve as a unifying figure in a nation that has splintered politically since the revolution, with many Egyptians fearful that Islamic leadership will impose strict moral codes or try to dominate politics."

"Named Egypt’s Winner, Islamist Makes History" is an article published in the New York Times on Monday. The newspaper calls Morsi's victory "an ambiguous milestone in Egypt’s promised transition to democracy." "Mr. Morsi’s victory is unlikely to end the fierce polarization of Egyptian society. Many of the young secular and liberal activists who started the revolt against Mr. Mubarak have come back together to support the Brotherhood against the military’s grab for power, but older secular political leaders are more divided," the article reads.