Egypt's Islamist-led Parliament voted to appoint Mohamed Saad al-Katatny as People’s Assembly speaker during its first session.
Katatny competed with two other members, Wasat Party Vice President Essam Sultan and independent MP Youssef al-Badry.
In a televised session broadcasted live, MP Mahmoud al-Saqqa, 81, who presided over the session by virtue of being the most senior lawmaker, announced the results, saying that out of 496 valid votes, Katatny received 399.
Sultan came in second with 87 votes, while independent Youssef al-Badry was third with 10 votes.
Before assuming the position of assembly speaker, Katatny, 59, had been serving as secretary general of the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the political arm of the once-banned Muslim Brotherhood, which won 47 percent of People’s Assembly seats in Egypt’s first free elections since the 25 January revolution toppled President Hosni Mubarak.
The Brotherhood was officially banned under Mubarak but was semi-tolerated. Some members of the group, such as Katatny, secured parliamentary seats under Mubarak by running as "independent" candidates.
"We want to build a new Egypt: a constitutional, democratic and modern Egypt," Katatny said in his first speech as speaker.
"Democracy will be the source of our Parliament's power," he added in remarks greeted with applause.
"We say to the Egyptian people and to the world that our revolution continues," said Katatny to more applause.
"Our eyes will not shut until our revolution is completed, with all its goals.”
"We will not betray the blood of the martyrs or their sacrifices," Katatny said of the hundreds who died in nationwide protests calling for democratic change.
The Brotherhood, Egypt's best organized political group, was widely expected to triumph in the polls but the surge of the Nour Party and high visibility of Salafi movements have raised fears concerning civil liberties and religious freedom.
On Monday, Katatny sought to allay these fears.
"I stress that we respect freedom of opinion, opinions of the other. These are the pillars of democracy," he told deputies.
"This critical phase, in which your Parliament was created, pushes us towards cooperation.”
The FJP announced last week that it had agreed with top parties in Parliament to nominate Katatny for the post.
Squabbles broke out among the elected representatives over the nomination process for speaker. The process witnessed a raucous debate about whether candidates for the post should be allowed to address the chamber beforehand.
Sultan objected when Saqqa refused to allow the nominees introduce themselves to fellow parliamentarians. After shouting erupted inside the chamber, Saqqa gave each nominee one minute to introduce himself.
Elections for Parliament's upper house, the Shura Council, are to begin later this month and end in February. Then the two chambers will choose a 100-member panel to draft a new constitution.
"We must cooperate with our colleagues in the Shura Council to choose the committee that will draft a constitution that expresses the will of all Egyptians," Katatny said.
