Ugh. Muslim Brotherhood claims victory in Egypt president vote

This. This. And This.

And now this:

(CBS/AP) – The Muslim Brotherhood has declared that its candidate, Mohammed Morsi, won Egypt’s presidential election.

Morsi “is the first civilian, popularly elected Egyptian president,” the group says on its website.

The declaration was based on returns the Brotherhood reported from 95 percent of the more than 13,000 polling stations nationwide. The returns showed Morsi with 52 percent of the vote, his opponent former prime minister Ahmed Shafiq with 48 percent. A million votes separated the two, which a Brotherhood spokesman said the remaining votes could not overcome the difference for Shafiq.

The figures were from results announced by election officials at individual counting centers, where each campaign has representatives who compile the numbers and make them public before the formal announcement. The Brotherhood’s early, partial counts proved generally accurate in last month’s first round vote.

The final official result is to be announced by Thursday.

Earlier, as vote counting began in Egypt’s election for the successor to Hosni Mubarak, the ruling military issued an interim constitution Sunday that handed themselves the lion’s share of power over the new president, enshrining their hold on the state and sharpening the possibility of confrontation with the Muslim Brotherhood.

With parliament dissolved and martial law effectively in force, the generals made themselves the country’s lawmakers, gave themselves control over the budget and will determine who writes the permanent constitution that will define the country’s future.

That could set Egypt on the path of continued turmoil, particularly if conservative Islamist Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood emerges the victor in the presidential run-off against Ahmad Shafiq, Mubarak’s last prime minister. Already, the Muslim Brotherhood was warning that they would launch protests if Shafiq is declared the winner.


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