(Image Source: Ahram Online)

BY KAVEH KAGHAZI

ANCHOR NEVILLE MILLER

In the first democratic election in its modern history, Islamist leader Mohammed Morsi was elected President of Egypt on Sunday. Morsi defeated former Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq in a tight race. CBS reports on the historic victory:

“The new President elect has already moved into the office once occupied by ousted President Hosni Mubarak. It’s no surprise he’s not wasting any time. There is a lot of work to do.”

Morsi is the first civilian president to take over the presidency. The president-elect is a member of the Muslim Brotherhood – one of the world’s largest Islamist movements. A writer from BBC says Morsi’s ties to the Brotherhood could challenge his regime.

“ ...many Egyptians will be innately suspicious. They have been warned for decades that the Muslim Brotherhood want to take over Egypt and turn it into an Islamic republic.”

The Brotherhood vowed not to run a presidential candidate or get involved with Parliament. But after breaking both promises, some Egyptians fear Morsi’s intentions.

The 60-year-old U . S . -trained engineer and former NASA employee has represented the Muslim Brotherhood for most of the past decade.  An analyst tells CNN , with a strong military rule already in place, the turmoil in Egypt isn’t likely to settle down.

“We might not have an Iran per say. We’re more likely to have a Pakistan in which a strong military intervenes in a radical political sphere at will.”
 

It’s not clear how much authority Morsi will have in the short term. The still-dominant military rulers have dissolved Parliament and limited Morsi’s powers. MSNBC ’s Richard Engel says that could set the stage for a future showdown.

“The Muslim Brotherhood still faces serious challenges. The military has already taken away many of the president’s key authorities, so a power struggle between the Islamists here and the Egyptian military could lie ahead.”


Although some focus on the remaining tension, a writer from The Guardian says Morsi’s landmark victory is a big step toward stabilizing the tumultuous country.

“ Morsi's victory is not the end of Egypt's turbulent post-revolutionary game. But it is perhaps the end of the beginning.”