Newly elected President Mohamed Morsy praised the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces on Monday during his first meeting with them after being declared president on Sunday afternoon.
The state-run news agency MENA said that on Monday Morsy met with SCAF chairman Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, deputy chairman Lieutenant General Sami Anan and a number of other council members at the Secretariat General of the Defense Ministry.
According to MENA, Morsy expressed his genuine appreciation to the SCAF for its wise leadership of the country during the past period, for protecting Egypt from many dangers and for respecting the free will of the great Egyptian people.
He commended the SCAF for managing the electoral process with the utmost transparency, which made it a model for democracy and fairness.
Morsy's statements mark a retreat from his criticisms of the SCAF before becoming the president-elect. Previously, Morsy had accused the military council of mismanaging the country during the transitional period.
Last week, the SCAF issued a supplement to the Constitutional Declaration that limited the powers of the elected president.
For his part, according to MENA Tantawi said that since the beginning of the revolution the armed forces have aimed to protect the country's highest interests and uphold the principle of freedom for the Egyptian people, who had revolted for dignity and justice.
The SCAF has been and will continue to be equal with all other political forces, Tantawi was quoted as saying by MENA. He pointed out that the armed forces will support the elected president and will cooperate with him in order to stabilize the country and uphold the state of law.
Earlier on Monday Sobhi Saleh, a leading figure in the Freedom and Justice Party, said Morsy will be sworn-in at the Supreme Constitutional Court. “This does not mean Morsy recognizes the dissolution of Parliament,” he said.
On Sunday, Morsy resigned from the Muslim Brotherhood and its political branch, the Freedom and Justice Party, while party leader Mohamed Badie pledged allegiance to Morsy and said he would work under his command.
On Monday, Morsy visited the presidential palace in Heliopolis to meet the staff. There, he also met with former Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri to discuss the latest developments in the security situation and the economic conditions.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
