What next for Egypt?

In what is perceived to be a milestone in the country's political transition, Egypt announced on Sunday that Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood had won the election to become the country's fifth president - the first without a military background.

It is good to see that the elections in Egypt, an important player in the Middle East, have finally yielded results after the uprisings last year that brought an end to the rule of Hosni Mubarak. However, the advent of a new president does not necessarily mean the country will embark on the road of stability and social reconciliation, many uncertainties and challenges loom ahead for Morsi and his country.

Morsi's defeat of Ahmed Shafiq, the former Egyptian prime minister, was by a slender margin, a clear indication that there is a big political divide in the country. There is a lack of mutual trust on key political issues between Islamists and secularists, political powers and the ruling military council, civilians and political parties.