Egypt's newly elected President Mohammed Mursi has called for unity and says he carries "a message of peace" to the world.
In his first televised speech on state television, President Mursi pledged to preserve Egypt's international accords, a reference to the peace deal with Israel.
He also paid tribute to protesters killed in last year's uprising, saying without the "blood of the martyrs," he would not have made it to the presidency.
Doctor Mursi did not mention the last-minute power grab by the ruling military that stripped the president of most of his major powers.
The White House congratulated President Mursi and urged him to advance national unity as he forms a new government.
White House press secretary Jay Carney said Mr Mursi's victory is a milestone in Egypt's transition to democracy after decades of authoritarian rule under ousted leader Hosni Mubarak.
The Obama administration had expressed no public preference in the presidential race.
Left on the sidelines of the political drama are the liberal and secular youth groups that drove the uprising against former President Mubarak, left to wonder whether Egypt has taken a step towards becoming an Islamist state.
Some grudgingly supported Mr Mursi in the face of Ahmed Shafiq, who was Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister, while others boycotted the vote.
Mr Mursi will now have to reassure them that he represents the whole country, not just Islamists, and will face enormous challenges after security and the economy badly deteriorated in the transition period.
Pro-democracy leader Mohammed ElBaradei urged unity after the results were announced.
"It is time we work all as Egyptians as part of a national consensus to build Egypt that is based on freedom and social justice," he wrote on his Twitter account.
The elections left the nation deeply polarised with one side backing Ahmed Shafiq, who promised to provide stability and prevent Egypt from becoming a theocracy.
Because of his military career, many saw him as the military's preferred candidate.
In the other camp are those eager for democratic change and backers of Doctor Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood who were persecuted, jailed and banned under Hosni Mubarak but now find themselves one of the two most powerful groups in Egypt.
The other power center is the ruling military council that took power after the uprising and is headed by Hosni Mubarak's defence minister of 20 years.
Khaled Abdel-Hamid, a leading leftist politician, said President Mursi must fight to get his powers back or he will lose any popular support he may have garnered.
"If he fights to get his power back, we will support him. But if he doesn't fight back, then he is settling for siding with the military," he said.
- Keywords:
- egypt,
- president mursi,
- muslim brotherhood,
- hosni murbarak
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