Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Mursi claimed victory on Monday in Egypt’s divisive race for the top job, as a military power grab overshadowed the country’s first post-Mubarak presidential election. A confirmed win by Mursi would mark the first time Islamists have taken the presidency in the Arab World’s most populous nation, but moves by the military have rendered the post toothless and have been slammed by activists as a coup. The Islamists’ rival Ahmed Shafiq, a former air force chief and ex-prime minister to ousted president Hosni Mubarak, disputed the Brotherhood’s victory announcement, labelling it “bizarre behaviour.” State television also reported that initial counts showed Mursi ahead, however. There were scenes of jubilation at Mursi’s Cairo headquarters, where the candidate himself thanked Egyptians for their votes in brief remarks after the Brotherhood said he had secured 52 percent of the ballots cast. Mursi pledged to work “hand-in-hand with all Egyptians for a better future, freedom, democracy, development and peace.” “We are not seeking vengeance or to settle accounts,” he said, adding that he would build a “modern, democratic state” for all Egyptians, Muslims and Christians alike. A campaign official in the Shafiq camp disputed the Brotherhood claim of victory, saying their figures showed he was leading in the count.
