Mohamed Mursi, the Muslim Brotherhood candidate, has won Egypt’s presidential election, defeating Ahmed Shafiq the former prime minister who reminded the people too much of the bad old days of Hosni Mubarak’s regime. Mursi has stated that he will form an inclusive government and will govern the country on behalf of all of the people, but already there are worrying signs about Egypt’s future direction.
One especially worrying feature of Mursi’s presidency is his pledge to reconsider the Camp David Accords, which were brokered between Israel and Egypt by US president Jimmy Carter in the late 1970s and resulted in peace which has lasted for more than 30 years. Another worrying feature is his stated intention of strengthening ties with Iran. These are significant threats to global peace, and to Israel in particular.
To support his promise that he will govern Egypt on behalf of all of the people, Mursi has resigned his membership of the Muslim Brotherhood; however, his Islamist record is a matter of some concern to many observers. It is widely believed that Egypt’s bureaucracy and army will make it difficult for Mursi to achieve significant shifts in the country’s policies, but the world waits and watches anxiously.