Muhammed Morsi Egypt’s new president

Muslim Brotherhood member, Muhammed Morsi has been declared the winner of Egypt’s run-off election.

According to the country’s electoral commission, Morsi beat former prime minister, Ahmed Shafiq, winning 51.37 per cent of the votes cast.

“The winner of the election for Egyptian president on June 16-17 is Mohamed Morsi Eissa al-Ayat,” said the head of the electoral commission, Faruq Sultan.

Morsi’s victory marks the first time Islamists have taken the presidency of the Arab World’s most populous nation, but recent moves by the ruling military to consolidate its power have rendered the post toothless.

The result has been awaited for weeks, with each candidate claiming victory.

Morsi has thus become the first popularly elected leader since the ouster of Hosni Mubarak by popular uprising last year.

His supporters who had jam-packed Tahrir Square burst into jubilation after the announcement, waving flags and posters of the Islamist leader, who was jailed during the uprising that overthrew Mubarak early last year.

“God is greatest” and “down with military rule” they chanted as some set off firecrackers minutes after the electoral commission formally declared the result.

Across Cairo, cars sounded their horns and chants of “Morsi, Morsi” were heard.

Morsi won with 13,230,131 votes against Shafiq’s 12,347,380, Sultan said. The election, in which more than 50 million voters were eligible to cast their ballot, saw a 51.8 percent turnout.

Also according to PM News, Morsi resigned from his posts in the Muslim Brotherhood and its Freedom and Justice Party, which he headed, after he was declared the winner, the Brotherhood announced.

Military ruler Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, who took power when Hosni Mubarak was forced to resign in February last year, congratulated Morsi on his win, state television announced.

And the interim head of the Coptic church, many of whose faithful have feared the rise of Islamists, also congratulated Morsi.

Shafiq supporters who had gathered to hear the result with his campaign team in the suburbs of Cairo were devastated by the result.