Muslim Brotherhood's Mohamed Morsi Declared President of Egypt

A new chapter in Egyptian politics has dawned. Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood's candidate, was announced as the next President of Egypt in a disputed election over former Mubarak Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik.

A gathering of secular-leaning politicians criticized on Saturday what they said was U.S. meddling on behalf of the Muslim Brotherhood. Other secularists stood behind the Islamist group preceding the initial announcement, calling it the best hope in the current circumstances against continued military domination of the country. The dispute preceding the vote highlighted how the country has been split into deeply polarized camps since the June 16-17 runoff vote between Morsi and ousted leader Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister Ahmed Shafiq, whose campaign had also said he had won by a narrow margin. Many Egyptians rallied behind Morsi as a chance to finally rid the country of the old Mubarak regime, while others supported Shafiq as the best bet to counter Islamists and restore order after a year of protests, economic hardship, and fear about crime and continued instability.

Egyptians faced the option between bad and worse - giving those involved in the Mubarak regime another shot at power, or handing power over to the Muslim Brotherhood, which has not exactly shown itself to be interested in freedom of religion or expression, let alone preserving the Camp David Accords with Israel. For Israelis they're going to warily watch events unfolding in Egypt and how the government proceeds. The military junta continues to control the apparatus of government and has superseded the acts of the parliament while limiting the powers of the presidency.