Cairo: An engineer turned politician, Mohammed Morsi has come a long way to become the first freely elected President of Egypt that saw its strongman Hosni Mubarak being ousted in what is now famously called Arab Spring.
Although, not their first choice as a presidential candidate, the powerful Muslim Brotherhood threw its weight behind Mursi, 60, the chairman of its Freedom and Justice Party (FJP).
A champion of Brotherhood`s famous slogan - "Islam is the solution" - Mursi describes its policies as having "a moderate Islamic reference".
A more quietly-spoken man, Mursi got the support of Brotherhood`s grassroots network and what is often referred to as an highly organised campaign team.
Th famous quote that sums up Mursi`s campaign is "The presidency will be an institution... The Superman era is over".
His campaign was about bringing "stability security, justice and prosperity".
He rose to the top position in Egypt by craftly positioning himself as the challenger to the Mubarak`s old guard.
Keen to ward off any accusations of being a hardliner, Mursi has suggested he would appoint Coptic Christians among his presidential advisers and that an Islamic dress code would not be enforced. He was among the guests at this year`s Coptic Christmas Eve mass.
Mursi hails from a village in the Nile Delta province of Sharqiya and is married with four children.
He has studied Engineering at Cairo University in the 1970s and later moved to US to complete a PhD.
After returning to Egypt he became head of the engineering department at Zagazig University and rose in the ranks of the Muslim Brotherhood and joined its Guidance Bureau.
PTI
