Some sections of the Western media describe him as the first freely elected president of Egypt. To some others, he is the first “Islamist” to be elected the president of an Arab country. Whatever the truth, everybody would agree that Mohamed Mursi's position is not enviable. For one thing, he was elected president before the powers of the office are clearly defined. This leaves him in perpetual conflict with the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF), the body that has been ruling Egypt ever since Hosni Mubarak was ousted from power in a popular revolution. For another, being the candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood, he has to allay fears about an Islamic takeover of the country entertained by foreign countries, and non-Muslim minorities in Egypt, especially Coptic Christians and secular/liberal Egyptians. He has to watch his step and weigh his words carefully if he is not to walk into the trap laid by his opponents at home and detractors abroad. Mursi has so far proceeded with caution. He has made it very clear that he does not want a cult of personality to grow up around him and does not want his pictures displayed in government offices. He is also against roads being closed when he travels by car, causing traffic chaos. He refused to move into the presidential palace, which is located near the presidential headquarters. He will remain at his current home in New Cairo. The first thing he did after he won the election was to resign from the Muslim Brotherhood. He has indicated that his vice presidents will be from minorities, especially Coptic Christians and secular parties. This speaks of a commitment to inclusiveness. In foreign policy, Mursi has declared that his administration will honor all international commitments made by previous regimes including the 1978 Camp David accords that led the way to an Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty. To say Israel had not kept its commitment under the Camp David accords to reach a broader Middle East peace, particularly with the Palestinians, as Mursi said in a television interview during the presidential campaign, is not to renounce the treaty. It is doubtful this will allay the fears of Israel's staunch backers in the West, especially the US and Canada. Unfortunately, they can only view things from an Israeli perspective. But Mursi knows that in the end, his fate may depend on whether or not he can turn around the staggering Egyptian economy which has been affected by months of unrest. Rising debt and lower growth is as much a threat to aims of the revolution as the generals who want to retain the old order with a democratic veneer. He has to create job opportunities and boost incomes to prevent disaffected youth from turning to radicalism of a religious or political hue. Most important, he has to convince his followers and the Egyptians who flocked to Tahrir Square that he, and not the military, is in command of the nation. Egyptians want to know whether he will accept the restrictions on his power or try to use his position as an elected president to force the military to lift them.
