CAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s newly elected president has read the oath of office in Tahrir Square and defied the country’s military rulers by saying, “I fear no one but God.”
Mohammed Morsi addressed tens of thousands of mostly Islamist supporters Saturday in a strongly worded speech.
He spoke on the eve of his official swearing-in ceremony that was scheduled in front of a high court. But many protesters called on him to take the oath in the square to defy the ruling generals who took power after Hosni Mubarak’s ouster.
Morsi vowed that the power of people is above all and that no one can take away the president’s authorities
The ruling generals said they will transfer power to an elected president by July 1. But days before Morsi was declared winner, they gave themselves sweeping powers that undercut the authority of the president. The generals’ constitutional declaration also designated them the country’s legislature, following a court decision that dissolved the country’s first freely elected parliament that was dominated by Islamists.
Protesters took to the streets, demanding that the generals rescind the declaration and reinstate the parliament.
Morsi’s first test in his power struggle with the generals will be the venue of his oath-taking ceremony.
He will be sworn in before a high court Saturday. Traditionally, presidents are to be sworn in before parliament. For many of the protesters, Morsi’s swearing-in before the court, as dictated by the generals’ constitutional declaration, was a concession to the military.
“We demand from the president of the republic that he calls off the constitutional declaration, reinstate the parliament as it was, and to stand here among us to be sworn in and swear he has all his powers,” said a preacher in the square who addressed the crowd before Morsi arrived.
“From now on, we make our demands to the president of the republic, not the military council. The military council no longer rules Egypt.”
Ali said Morsi’s agreement to take oath before the court does not mean the battle to regain his powers is over.
“This is an affirmation that (Morsi) respects the law and constitution,” he said. “It doesn’t mean approval of the declaration.”
Speaking to newspapers editors Thursday, Morsi said there are still discussions on how to on how to implement the law dissolving the parliament. The court decision declared a third of the elected seats unconstitutional and Brotherhood lawyers argue it is still possible to only dissolve that third. Morsi urged patience.
Morsi, the first elected Islamist leader of an Arab country, is also trying to reach out to many of the liberal and secular forces that were behind the uprising. They, along with Egypt’s Coptic Christian minority, fear Morsi would work to establish a religious state. Most of those powers have stayed out of the protest in Tahrir.
However, the prominent April 6 movement took part in the square protest.
“We should be patient with one another, two, three or four years, and try to live together in this atmosphere of freedom and democracy after the revolution,” he told the editors, according to comments published in the state-run Al-Ahram daily. “This is definitely a better atmosphere than before. But there are big challenges.”
Before heading to Tahrir, Morsi prayed in Al-Azhar mosque. Al-Azhar is the Sunni world’s most prestigious learning institution, and represents moderate Islam. Morsi’s visit there is an acknowledgement of respect to the institution.
Protesters in the square chanted, “The military council should leave tonight,” and, “The president takes the oath in the square.”
SOURCE:shreveporttimes.com
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