CAIRO: In yet another monumental sign that the era of Hosni Mubarak in Egypt has ended, President-elect Mohamed Morsi began to take over the office of the former dictator, state media reported on Monday. The move has supporters and activists excited that the ousted and now jailed dictator may be, finally, a figure of the past. “Wow, it is amazing to think that in the past few days, Morsi and the Brotherhood have been on state television and now he is in Mubarak's old office,” said Brotherhood supporter and anti-military activist Salma Ahmed. She told Bikyamasr.com as she protested against the military junta on Monday evening that “this is the future of Egypt and now we need to make sure we continue to force the military to leave.” On Monday, the Egyptian government led by Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzoury submitted its resignation to the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) on Monday, paving the way for Morsi to begin filling his new Cabinet. The Egyptian news website Masrawy, however, said the military junta has refused the resignations and told Ganzoury and the other ministers to continue their work until Morsi is officially sworn in as president. Morsi beat former dictator Hosni Mubarak's Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq, garnering some 52 percent of the vote. “I pray to those who were killed and injured, who watered the tree of freedom," he told the nation on Sunday evening, adding that he saluted “the families who taught them the true meaning of freedom and for their patience over losing their lives as a price for freedom. I renew my promise, this blood is not going to wasted،" His modesty came out as well, saying “I'm leading the nation and I am not your best. But I will fulfill my promises and pledges to you." He also talked of the importance of all Egyptians, Christian or Muslim, being represented in the country and by his government, which the Brotherhood's political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) said could be announced as soon as Wednesday. “Today I am the president of all Egyptians, inside the country and abroad, men and women, women and Copts." ** Bikyamasr.com's Manar Ammar contributed to this report.
