Middle East

Sisi takes power in Egypt

Former army chief takes oath of office before the Constitutional Court after being declared winner of presidential poll. Last updated: 08 Jun 2014 11:22

Sunday was declared a national holiday and tight security was enforced throughout Cairo [AP]

Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the former Egyptian army chief, has been sworn in as the new president at Cairo's Constitutional Court amid high security. Sisi took the oath of office before the Supreme Constitutional Court in a suburb south of the Egyptian capital, the same venue where deposed President Mohamed Morsi, now on trial for charges that carry the death penalty, was sworn in two years ago. "I swear by almighty God to preserve the republican system, and to respect the constitution and the law and to care for the interests of the people; and to preserve the independence of the nation and its territorial integrity," Sisi said. Sunday was declared a national holiday and tight security was enforced by the police and military throughout Cairo. "Cairo has announced a state of emergency across its institutions, and no breaks will be taken today and on Sunday," Ahmed Sakr, the deputy governor of Cairo, said on Saturday. "This is for receiving guests who will attend the ceremony and the inauguration. We will welcome them and show them that Egypt is a country of security and stability." Sisi was declared the country's president last week after winning 96.6 percent of the presidential vote, beating the only other contender Hamdeen Sabahi. Turnout was recorded at 47 percent, lower than Sisi had called for, and despite the voting period being extended from two to three days. Sabahi won 3.09  percent of the vote. The results, and the swearing-in on Sunday, confirmed the rise of Sisi, who has suppressed Morsi's Islamist supporters and promised to restore stability and the economy after three years of turmoil. Several heads of state were among the prominent personalities who attended the ceremony, the Reuters news agency reported. Earlier, an Egyptian court on Saturday sentenced 10 Muslim Brotherhood supporters to death in absentia, news agencies said. All 10 were assumed to be in hiding and were convicted on charges including inciting violence and blocking a major road north of Cairo after the army toppled Morsi in July last year. The same court on Saturday postponed until July 5 the verdict in the trial of Muslim Brotherhood's leader, Mohamed Badie, and scores of others for inciting violence that killed two people last summer. Badie was one of thousands of the group's supporters arrested in a crackdown following the removal of Morsi by the Egyptian army. Badie is being tried in nearly 40 cases, all of which potentially carry the death penalty, and has already been sentenced to death in one case Source: Aljazeera.