Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi wins Egypt's presidential election

The Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi has been officially declared the new president of Egypt.

On Sunday afternoon, Farouk Sultan, head of the Presidential Elections Commission named Morsi the winner of last weekend's run-off against Ahmed Shafik.

Mursi won the run-off of Egypt's presidential election with 13,230,131 votes against his opponent, Ahmed Shafiq, who followed with 12,348,380.

The results, announced live on television, has led to an explosion of joy at Tahrir Square in central Cairo, where several thousands of people were gathered since early Sunday morning.

For several days, the situation in Egypt has been tense. The official announcement of the results was originally scheduled for June 21. The postponement by the authorities has raised widespread suspicions that the returns are being negotiated rather than counted.

Thousands of Brotherhood supporters burst into cheers on Cairo's Tahrir Square, waving national flags and chanting "Allahu Akbar!" or "God is Great," greeting a dramatic victory.

Also in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinians have taken to the streets in celebration as dozens of happy youths drove their cars and motorbikes through the centers, raising green flags of Hamas and Morsi's photos.

Meanwhile, President Morsi received congratulations from the country’s military ruler Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Gaza's Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh phoned Mursi to congratulate him on his presidency.

It is worth to mention that on May, Mursi has said the he will respect Egypt's 1979 treaty with Israel, on which much US aid depends.

On his part , the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he expected continued cooperation with Egypt on the basis of the bilateral peace accord.

However, Eli Shaked, a former Israeli ambassador to Cairo, told Israel's Army Radio that Mursi's authority would likely be diluted by the powerful Egyptian army, which relies on Washington's defense grants, Reuters news reported.

Morsi is a 60-year-old, U.S.-educated engineer who spent time in jail under Mubarak. He has pledged to form an inclusive government to appeal to the many Egyptians, including a large Christian minority, who are anxious over the Muslim Brotherhood rule.

Source: http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/06/24/222362.html

More as it becomes available.