Sisi sworn in as Egypt's president, cool reception from West
CAIRO June 8, 2014 (Reuters) - Former army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was sworn in as president of Egypt on Sunday in a ceremony with low-key attendance by Western allies concerned by a crackdown on dissent since he ousted Islamist leader Mohamed Mursi last year.
Last month's election, which officials said Sisi won with 97 percent of the vote, followed three years of upheaval since a popular uprising ended 30 years of rule by former air force commander Hosni Mubarak.
Security in Cairo was extra tight, with armoured personnel carriers and tanks positioned in strategic locations as Sisi spoke to foreign dignitaries after a 21-gun salute at Cairo's main presidential palace.
He called for hard work and the development of freedom "in a responsible framework away from chaos" but did not mention human rights or democracy.
"The time has come to build a more stable future," said Sisi, the sixth Egyptian leader with a military background. "Let us work to establish the values of rightness and peace."
Near Tahrir Square, the symbolic heart of the revolt against Mubarak where protesters now rarely tread, young men sold t-shirts with the image of Sisi in his trademark dark sunglasses.
Commentators on state and private media heaped praise on him, turning a blind eye to what human rights groups say are widespread abuses, in the hope that he can deliver stability and rescue the economy.
The time has come to build a more stable future,” said Sisi, the sixth Egyptian leader with a military background. “Let us work to establish the values of rightness and peace