Cairo: Mohammed Mursi, who was on Sunday declared the winner of Egypt's Presidential Election, has called for national unity.
After being declared the winner, Mursi proclaimed himself a leader "for all Egyptians”.
The announcement by election officials touched off a joyous celebration of chanting and dancing in the sweltering heat by tens of thousands of Mursi’s supporters jamming Tahrir Square, the birthplace of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak 16 months ago.
It also capped a week of growing political tension in the streets after authorities delayed announcing the results of the June 16-17 runoff election between Morsi and Mubarak's former prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq.
Tanks and other signs of heavy security had been deployed around the country, especially outside state institutions, in anticipation of possible violence reminiscent of the first days of last year's revolution.
Speaking on Egyptian television on Sunday evening, Mursi declared he had a "message of peace. We will respect all international agreements”. He did not mention Israel but the remark seemed to be a reassuring nod to respecting the peace treaty.
The election commission said Mursi won 51.7 percent in the runoff — a margin of only 800,000 votes — over Shafiq, a former Air Force colonel who was perceived to be the favourite of the military council that took over from Mubarak.
"I tell everybody in this memorable day, that because of your choice, your will, and after God's favour, I am a president for all Egyptians," the 60-year-old engineer, professor and former lawmaker said in his speech, delivered stiffly as he read from notes.
Monday's editions of Freedom and Justice, the Muslim Brotherhood's newspaper that bears the same name as the group's political party, bannered the headline: "The street explodes with joy, the people write history: Morsi President of Egypt."
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