The United
States congratulated Egyptian President-elect Mohamed Morsi on Sunday for his
"milestone" victory and urged the Muslim Brotherhood leader to form his
government carefully and respect the right of all Egyptians as he takes
power.
"We congratulate
the Egyptian people for this milestone in their transition to democracy," White
House spokesman Jay Carney said in a statement, calling on the new leader to
ensure Egypt remains "a pillar of regional peace, security and
stability".
"We believe that
it is important for President-elect Morsi to take steps at this historic time to
advance national unity by reaching out to all parties and constituencies in
consultations about the formation of a new government," Carney said.
Sunday's
statement by the White House alluded to the Obama administration's hope that the
rise of Morsi and his Muslim Brotherhood party will not undercut
Egyptian-Israeli relations.
Mubarak was
credited in Washington with resisting three decades of pressure within Egypt to
break the Camp David accords with Israel or loosen its alliance with the United
States. Chicago Tribune
The Obama
administration had expressed no public preference in advance of Sunday's
announcement that the presidential candidate had defeated Ahmed Shafiq, who was
the last prime minister under Mubarak. AFP Mohamed Morsi is
Egypt’s first freely elected president since the ouster of long-time dictator
Hosni Mubarak last year. Boston.com Tens of
thousands of Egyptians have gathered in Cairo and across the country to
celebrate the victory of Morsi, chanting slogans such as “God is greatest” and
“Down with the military rule.” The Republic However, under a
constitutional declaration issued last week, the country’s junta has taken
control of the state budget and given itself veto power on a new constitution,
making the new president almost powerless. It has also dissolved the parliament
dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood. Naharnet
AHT/KK
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