Egypt: Mursi takes symbolic oath at Tahrir square

Newly elected President Mohammed Mursi paid tribute on Friday to the people of Egypt, Muslims and Christians alike, before a huge crowd at Cairo’s Tahrir Square, birthplace of the revolt that overthrew Hosni Mubarak. Revolution must continue until all objectives are met: President Mursi

Speaking on the eve of his swearing-in, Egypt’s first freely-elected civilian president Mr Mursi paid tribute to “the square of the revolution, the square of freedom,” addressing “the free world, Arabs, Muslims… the people of Egypt, brothers and sisters… Muslims of Egypt, Christians of Egypt.”

“The revolution must continue until all is objectives are met,” he said.

Thousands had gathered in the square to protest against decrees issued by Egypt’s military rulers before Mr Mursi’s election.

Addressing the crowd, Mr Mursi promised to be a “president for all Egyptians”, adding: “You are the source of all authority and legitimacy.”

“I promise you that I will not give up on any of the powers given to the president,” Mr Mursi said, in a veiled reference to the Scaf’s recent decrees.

“There is no power above people power,” Mursi declared to wild cheers from the crowd.

Mursi, who won a run-off election earlier this month against Mubarak’s last premier, was received with applause by the tens of thousands of people gathered in the square.

Spokesmen for the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, to which Mr Mursi belongs, had previously said he would take his oath before parliament, which was dissolved by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf) last week.

The assembly, elected last November, was dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood-backed Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) and other Islamists.

The Scaf issued a declaration giving itself sweeping legislative powers and control over defence policy, and announcing the appointment of a panel to write a new constitution.

Another controversial decision by the Scaf to give military police powers of arrest was suspended by a court earlier this week