Protests in Cairo, Egypt amid rival victory claims

Protesters at Tahrir square protest SCAF's constitutional declaration and recent court decisions.

Story by Al Jazeera

Thousands of Egyptians have packed into Cairo's Tahrir Square to protest against the ruling military council's decision to claim new powers, amid contesting claims by both presidential candidates of victory in the weekend's election.

In the hub of the uprising that deposed president Hosni Mubarak, protesters chanted against his military successors, with a steady trickle of people joining the demonstration after sunset.

The demonstration comes against a backdrop of uncertainty over the winner of the presidential vote, with the Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi and his rival, former prime minister Ahmed Shafik, both claiming victory.

Earlier on Tuesday, a campaign spokesman for Shafik said he had won the presidential election, countering the Muslim Brotherhood's claims that its candidate was the winner.

Ahmed Sarhan told a televised news conference in Cairo that Shafik won 51.5 per cent of the vote and dismissed the claim of victory by Morsi's campaign as "false".
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/06/20126191465269424.html