Cairo,June 30: Muhammad Mursi was sworn in today as Egypt's first freely elected President bringing his Muslim Brotherhood to power after 84 years of struggle, even as the military seemed determined to retain control.
 Mursi, who was the winner of the presidential run-off, was officially sworn in before Egypt's High Constitutional Court as Egypt's first civilian president.
 "I swear by the Almighty God to sincerely preserve the republican order and to respect the constitution and law, and completely care for the people's interest," 60-year-old Mursi said at the ceremony in the Constitutional Court.
 "We aspire to a better tomorrow, a new Egypt and a second republic," Mursi said.
 He became Arab world's first freely elected Islamist president and Egypt's fifth head of state since the overthrow of the monarchy some 60 years ago.
 In his first public speech at Cairo University after the oath, Mursi said, "God is greatest, above everyone" and pledged that Egypt would not reverse its new democratic course after Hosni Mubarak's fall.
 Egypt's president stressed on a Pan-Arab policy and also announced his support for the Palestinians until they "regain all their rights" and called for an end to bloodshed in Syria.
 "I announce from here that Egypt, its people and presidential institution stand with the Palestinian people until they regain all their rights," Mursi said.
 "We support the Syrian people. We want the bloodshed to stop," he added.
 Mursi thanked the military for seeing through the presidential elections but pointedly mentioned the "elected parliament" several times, in the address.
 "The elected bodies will resume their functions and the army will return to their barracks, to their original role of protecting the borders," Mursi said sending a veiled message to military's leader Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi who was among the audience.
 As the families of those who died during this year of revolution cheered for Mursi, holding pictures of their children, the president addressed them, saying: "It's because of the sacrifice your children made that we have all of this."
 Mursi promised to bring justice for the martyrs and injured, for many have neither received any benefits from the state nor have they seen their murderers given jail sentences.
 Mursi also expressed his appreciation to the role played by judges, the armed forces and police officers for supervising and securing the elections process and ensuring its transparency.
 "Egypt will not break away from the Arab and Islamic nation," said the president, stressing that from now on Egypt will not tolerate any violations against any of the Arab countries.
 Attempts by any country to intervene in Egyptian affairs will be rejected, and confirmed that Egypt will respect "international treaties and agreements," which might be an indirect reference to treaties such as the Camp David Accords.
 The president reached out to both Muslims and Christians in "drawing a better future for Egypt and in fulfilling the goals of the revolution: freedom, social justice and dignity."

Lastupdate on : Sat, 30 Jun 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 30 Jun 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 1 Jul 2012 00:00:00 IST