Egypt braces for Islamist president or ex-army man

CAIRO—Egyptians were waiting on Sunday to hear whether their next president will be a former military officer or a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, a group that ousted leader Hosni Mubarak spent three decades fighting.

The result of last weekend’s runoff, due in an election committee news conference at 3 p.m., will be historic for the Middle East, but will not end power struggles between the Army, Islamists and others over Egypt’s future.

The Muslim Brotherhood’s Mohamed Morsy says he won the race to lead the biggest Arab nation, even if the generals who have been in charge since Mubarak was ousted 500 days ago are not giving up their control just yet.

The Brotherhood and liberal-minded activists who galvanized the street last year against Mubarak may react angrily if the election committee announces the winner is instead Ahmed Shafik, a former air force commander and the ousted president’s last prime minister. Like Mubarak, every president for six decades has emerged from military ranks.

Many Egyptians, and millions across the region, would see a Shafik win as a mortal blow to last year’s Arab Spring revolt, despite his assurances of also wanting an inclusive government.

“Egypt waits for the president and prepares for the worst,” wrote Al-Masry AlYoum daily in a front-page headline, referring to concerns about violence erupting. Echoing that, Al-Watan wrote: “The Brotherhood prepares the stage for Morsy, and an intense security alert in case of a Shafik win.”

The new president will emerge with fewer powers than the candidates, pruned by a first round of voting in May, had expected when the Army promised civilian rule by July 1.

The ruling military council, which pushed Mubarak aside on Feb. 11, 2011 to appease the protesters in the streets, has stripped the presidency of many powers and dissolved the Brotherhood-led parliament elected in January.