Mohammed Morsi has been declared Egypt's first Islamist president after the free-est elections in the country's history. The candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood narrowly defeated Hosni Mubarak's last Prime Minister, Ahmed Shafiq in a race that has raised political tensions in Egypt to fever pitch. The country's last four presidents over the past six decades have all come from the ranks of the military.

This is the first time modern Egypt will be headed by an Islamist and a freely elected civilian.

Farouksultan, Chairman of Supreme constitutional Court, said, "The winner of the position of President of the Arab Republic of Egypt in the elections that took place on June 16 and 17 is Dr Mohammed Mohammed Morsi Issa El Ayat."

Morsi, chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, got 51.73 percent of votes in the presidential run-off, defeating his rival Ahmed Shafiq, who got 48.27 percent. According to the election commission, Morsi won 13.23 million votes, while Shafiq got 12.35 million. But the voter turnout was low, just over half the eligible 51 million voters.

The announcement was the culmination of a tumultuous, 16-month transition that was supposed to bring democratic rule, but was tightly controlled and curtailed by the military rulers who took power from Hosni Mubarak. The announcement of the result itself was further delayed as the election commission investigated claims of ballot-rigging and other complaints, raising fears the military would hold onto control.

Even now, the outcome will still not put an end to the main power struggle in the country now between Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and the military.

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