Press sees challenges for new Egyptian president
Many newspapers in the Middle East hail Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Mursi's win in the Egyptian presidential election, but concede that he faces daunting challenges while the governing military council retains much of its power.
Egyptian newspapers recognised the huge tasks awaiting the president-elect; while one Algerian newspaper compared Mursi's election to Britain's Queen Elizabeth, "who rules without power".
Some newspapers in Israel saw Mursi's election as a "black day", and speculated that his victory was the result of voters turning their back on the former regime over and above voting for an Islamist candidate.
Faruq Juwaydah in Egypt's Al-Ahram
"We should respect the people's decision and the voter's will... There is no doubt that the president's post at this phase is going to be a huge burden that exceeds human capability."
Editorial in Egypt's Al-Jumhuriyah
"The people will never allow the crimes of the former regime to be repeated in any form because they are looking forward to turning over a new leaf where they can learn from their past mistakes."
Sarhan Sulayman in Egypt's Al-Wafd
"Dr Mohammed Mursi's victory is a bright light for all Egyptians who had had their smiles taken away from them since the start of the revolution... We are now bearing the first fruits of the revolution and it is the election of Mohammed Mursi as the president of Egypt."
Editorial in Palestinian paper Al-Quds
"We hope that under its new leadership, Egypt will support the Palestinian people's just struggle for freedom and independence."
Kamal al-Sha'ir in Hamas-run Filastin
"The Islamic caliphate is returning again in a different dress… With this, Egypt will be the first Arab country to be ruled by a president with a radical Islamist background."
Muhammad Abu Mazin in Jordan's Al-Ghad
Many Egyptians celebrated Mr Mursi's victory on the streets of Cairo
"Who would have ever believed that leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood who spent most of their time in prisons and detention centres because of illusionary charges would one day come to rule Egypt not through a coup or tanks but through the ballot box?"
Editorial in Saudi Arabia's Al-Watan
"Democracy is a bumpy road and Mursi does not have a magic wand to get the Egyptians out of their current crises, as Egypt above all is in need of political and security stability and needs to builds its economy from scratch again."
Zuhayr Majid in Oman's Al-Watan
"Tomorrow is a new day for the Egyptians, but Dr Mursi is facing a flood of issues that may all need miracles in a time of no miracles."
Editorial in Algeria's Al-Fadjr
"The man has come to power like the Queen of England who rules without power. Mursi has the chair, but a shadow government is ruling Egypt and Mursi is going to give them the legal cover."
Editorial in Qatar's Al-Rayah
"The very important task facing the president-elect is for him to immediately seek to restore the nation's unity, to unite the ranks of all Egyptians and to begin a comprehensive reconciliation process."
Abd-al-Bari Atwan in London-based Al-Quds Al-Arabi
"The Israelis are definitely shaking from this victory because from now on they will never find a subservient president who would kneel, lick their feet, yield to all their demands and support their wars just as it used to be in the past."
Tariq al-Hamid in London-based Al-Sharq al-Awsat
"Whoever is enthusiastic and imagines that they are watching a movie at the cinema with a happy ending is mistaken.... we are today facing a reality that I think some people thought would never happened, but it did happen and its consequences will be very grave."
- Seyyed Mohammad Eslami in Iran's conservative Khorasan
- "This victory does not mean the end of the job, the end of Egypt's revolution, or the end of the Muslim Brotherhood. The upcoming weeks will show whether the Military Council is playing a master game in the country."
Smadar Peri in Israel's Yediot Aharonot
"As far as we are concerned, when the presidential palace in Cairo is painted with the Islamist colour for the first time it is a bad, black day."
Zvi Barel in Israel's Ha'aretz
"The movement's victory symbolizes the goal of those behind the revolution, many of them secular liberals, to rid themselves of Hosni Mubarak's oppressive regime. Voting for Muslim Brotherhood candidates is a way of voting against the old regime."
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