From Our Correspondent Cairo, Jun 25 (PTI) After his historic triumph in Egypt's first free presidential election, Islamist Mohammed Mursi today started consultations to form a national reconciliation government to overcome deep political divisions and project himself as a moderate leader of "all Egyptians". Mursi today reached out to all those who had led the country's historic revolution, signalling that he may include his electoral rivals into his national government. As president, the 60-year-old Muslim Brotherhood leader retains the right to appoint the prime minister and cabinet. He has begun talks to form his cabinet that "would truly represent Egypt after the revolution," according to a statement on the Muslim Brotherhoods' Twitter account. Mursi has his task cut out as he embarks on the process of bridging deep political divisions and negotiating the contours of the military's power, a task he began by appealing for unity in the economically battered nation. "I will treat all Egyptians the same and respect them equally," Mursi said in his victory speech. "I tell everybody in this memorable day that because of your choice, your will and after God's favour, I am a president for all Egyptians," the engineer-professor said on Egyptian television as tens of thousands celebrated his victory across the country. Mursi is likely to be sworn in on June 30, although questions remain over the extent of his presidential powers after the ruling military junta's move to dissolve the Islamist-led parliament. He defeated former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq in a nail-biting run-off vote that deeply polarised the country, pitting radicals, moderates and remnants of the former regime against each other, a year after the country rose in unison against the regime of Hosni Mubarak. (MORE) PTI WAJ AKD ZH AKJ
