Egypt's First Islamist President (Mursi) Sworn In

[MADem]

2. This is a different "swearing in" than the one he did yesterday....

He's got about as much clout as Amadinejad. Instead of the ulema calling the shots, the Army is. This guy is more of a "moral guide," a cheerleader, a go-between between the people and the guys actually calling the shots, and a 'rep' for a substantial portion of the population that has been politically underserved to this point in time.

The Brotherhood reluctantly accepted the venue, but in a symbolic riposte, Mursi read his oath on Friday to crowds in Cairo's protest hub, Tahrir Square. He told supporters there that the people were the only source of power, in a dig at the generals who see themselves as the state's ultimate arbiters.

...An army decree on June 17 clipped presidential powers, denying the head of state his role as supreme commander of the armed forces with the right to decide on war and peace. It also gave SCAF legislative powers until a new parliament is elected, as well as veto rights over the writing of a new constitution.

Nevertheless, SCAF insists it has now kept a promise, made the day Mubarak fell, to transfer power to an elected president.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/30/us-egypt-politics-idUSBRE85S0JP20120630

We'll see if this is how it stays, or if this guy will be able to wrest power from the generals.