Muslim Brotherhood claims victory in Egypt presidential election

CAIRO – 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 per cent of the more than 13,000 polling stations nationwide.

The returns showed Morsi with 52 per cent of the vote, his opponent former prime minister Ahmed Shafiq with 48 per cent. 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 centres, 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.