The challenges facing Egypt’s new president

THE new Egyptian President, Mohammed Mursi, faces immense challenges on the domestic front, having inherited a politically divided country with a heavy legacy of corruption, poverty, rampant unemployment and security problems.Externally, Egypt’s new leader will also encounter a number of serious challenges, the most prominent of which are relations with Israel, the US and Iran. Here is a look at some of the most pressing issues.

The Mursi-Shafiq battle in the runoff has left Egypt politically divided, as reflected in Mursi’s narrow victory. More than 12 million voters decided to support Mubarak’s last prime minister. This represents a challenge to Mr Mursi who will now have to embark on serious steps towards national reconciliation. Building bridges with those who voted against him, particularly liberals and Copts, appears to be an immediate priority.

“No-one can run a country while knowing that half of the country is not with him,” political analyst Hasan Abu-Talib told Nile News TV on 24 June. In this context, Mr Mursi will also have to dissociate himself from the Muslim Brotherhood and prove that he is indeed “a president for all Egyptians”.

Relations with the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf) will likely be a thorny issue for Mr Mursi. An Egyptian military police armoured personnel carrier patrols a street in Cairo The military have limited some of the new president’s powers As the presidential runoff started, the Scaf issued a supplementary constitutional declaration which has cut down much of the president’s powers.

The Scaf has given to itself temporary legislative powers following the dissolution of parliament, and has secured complete control over all army affairs, including the defence budget, the appointment of commanders and the extension of their service. The president can declare war, but only after the approval of the Scaf.

Under the new declaration, the Scaf will also form a new constituent assembly, should the current one be scrapped by the court looking into lawsuits filed against it. On the domestic front, Mr Mursi has two equally important issues on his plate: security and the economy.

Despite a recent slight improvement, public security has deteriorated since the 25 January revolution. There has been a rise in killings, abductions and car theft, amid widespread possession of weapons. Also, working with the security apparatus that has for decades clamped down on his group will be a difficult challenge for the new president.

Equally challenging is the domestic economy. More than 40% of Egyptians live below the poverty line. The country’s economic situation has generally worsened since the revolution. The withdrawal of investments, the closure of a large number of factories and persistent strikes in various sectors have taken their toll on the economy.

More than half of Egypt’s foreign reserves have already been eroded. Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) leaders and officials at a 2012 summit in Riyadh There is tension between the Muslim Brotherhood and the Gulf Co-operation Council (pictured)

Prior to Mr Mursi’s victory, concern had been voiced in Egypt that a win for the Muslim Broth erhood’s candidate could have a negative effect on relations with the Gulf as some states there may not be happy about a Brotherhood candidate being at the helm.—BBC