Mohamed Morsi, the Egyptian president-elect, took a symbolic oath of office during a rousing speech in Cairo, promising dignity and social justice to a crowd of tens of thousands gathered in Tahrir Square.
He swore to uphold the constitution and “the republican system”, reciting the words of an oath which he will formally take on Saturday morning in front of the supreme constitutional court.
“We will complete the journey in a civil state, a nationalist state, a constitutional state, a modern state,” he told the crowd, to applause and cheers.
Morsi, a former Muslim Brotherhood official, promised to end torture and discrimination, and to deliver social justice for millions of Egyptians.
He also issued several challenges to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), Egypt’s military rulers.
He insisted that “no institution will be above the people,” critiquing an army which has sought to shield itself from parliamentary oversight. ”You are the source of authority,” he told the crowd.
Morsi also vowed to work for the release of civilians arrested by the army since the revolution; more than 12,000 people have been tried by military tribunals since February 2011, according to local human rights groups.
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