Islamist Mohamed Morsi was sworn in before Egypt’s highest court in Cairo on Saturday as the country’s first freely elected president to succeed Hosni Mubarak who was ousted 16 months ago in a popular uprising.
The former leader of the political wing of the Muslim Brotherhood pledged before Egypt’s Supreme Court to defend the country’s republican system, sovereignty, independence and integrity, safeguard the interests of the Egyptian people, observe the Constitution and national laws.
After taking the oath, Morsi officially started to perform his functions as the head of state.
On June 24, Egypt's electoral commission announced the official results of the presidential elections. Morsi won the election after garnering 51.7 percent of the vote.
Morsi, who had been a candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party at the presidential elections, left the party shortly after he was elected president. He has already called for national unity and pledged to form a coalition government.
