Egyptian president gets to work amid nation’s sky-high expectations

Mohammed Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected president whose powers have been curbed by the military, toured his palatial new residence — where ousted leader Hosni Mubarak once lived — and began work to form a coalition government.

Declared the winner on Sunday, a week after a run-off vote that pitted him against an ex-military officer, the Islamist — who holds that Islam is a political ideology as well as a religion — faces the challenge of meeting sky-high expectations in a nation tired of turmoil with an economy on the ropes.

However, his campaign pledge — to complete the revolution that toppled Mubarak last year but left the pillars of his rule intact — will come up against the entrenched interests of the generals who have been in charge of the transition to democracy.

Shortly before the presidential vote, the newly- elected Islamist-led parliament was dissolved by the army based on a court order and the generals issued a decree putting limits on the president’s remit, which cuts into Mr Morsi’s powers to act, but exposing him to blame for any failures.

Further afield, his win has had an immediate impact beyond Egypt’s borders, inspiring Islamists who have risen against autocrats across the Middle East and swept to power in North Africa. Israel worries its peace deal with Egypt, never warm, will cool further. Palestinians in Gaza are delighted.

Iran saw his election as an “Islamic awakening” — although Tehran and the Muslim Brotherhood follow different, often opposed forms of the faith. Its Fars news agency published an interview in which Mr Morsi urged the restoration of severed ties to build strategic “balance”. A Morsi aide said he gave the interview 10 days ago.

Security officials said Mr Morsi and his wife took a tour of their new home, once Mubarak’s main residence — a dramatic change of fortunes for a former political prisoner whose group was pursued remorselessly during Mubarak’s 30-year rule.

An aide said Mr Morsi then went to the defence ministry for talks with the head of the military council, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, and the army-appointed prime minister Kamal al Ganzouri for talks on forming a new government, a visit rich with symbolism about where real power lies.

Mr Morsi can appoint the cabinet. His aides say he has already reached out to politicians from outside the Brotherhood such as reformist Mohamed El Baradei, who has yet to publicly respond. However, legislative powers remain with the army while the parliament is dissolved, restricting his power to act.

One pressing concern — on which many Egyptians are likely to judge his performance — will to be to revive the economy.