Mursi promises to restore Egypt parliament

DHAKA: Mohammed Mursi, Egypt’s first civilian, democratically elected president, has promised to restore the parliament dissolved by the military.

Hours after the historic oath taking ceremony, Mursi was saluted by Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, leader of the military council which is handing over power, report agencies.

Mursi was sworn in before the Supreme Constitutional Court, rather than parliament as is usual.

Parliament was dissolved by Field Marshal Tantawi’s Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf), which assumed legislative powers under a controversial ‘interim constitutional declaration’.

‘The army now returns to his original role, protecting the nation and its borders’, Mursi said.

Parliament, the new president insisted, had been elected in a free and fair ballot and had been entrusted with drafting a new, democratic constitution.

He hailed those killed in the uprising against President Mubarak.

Families of some of the dead were in the hall and they held up photos of their sons and daughters.

In the ceremony before the court, Mursi said the Egyptian people had ‘laid the foundations for a new life, for full freedom, a genuine democracy, for putting the meaning and significance of the constitution and stability above everything else’.

His government would be based on the democratic pillars of ‘the constitutional court, the Egyptian judiciary, and the executive and legislative powers’.

The oath of office had originally been scheduled to take place at the parliament, which is dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood-backed Freedom and Justice Party and other Islamists.

BDST: 2048 HRS, JUN 30, 2012

Edited by Robab Rosan, Cultural Affairs Editor