It took longer than anticipated, but there is finally a victor in Egypt's first truly competitive presidential elections. Mr. Mohamed Morsi, the candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood, prevailed over former Gen. Ahmed Shafik. The outcome is symbolic on many levels, but most significantly because it is not clear if Mr. Morsi is president in any real sense. Egypt's old order is waging a battle behind the scenes — and under cover of the judiciary — to strip the new administration of any real power.

It has been a tumultuous 16 months since the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak. The former strongman went on trial in a nationally televised spectacle that culminated in his conviction on charges of complicity in the killings of antigovernment protestors and a subsequent stroke. Found guilty, he is now reported to be in a coma and his recovery is uncertain. In parliamentary elections held last fall, the Muslim Brotherhood won a majority, but real power continued to be exercised by a military council that took power upon Mubarak's resignation and which represented continuity with his regime. The council pledged to hand over power on June 30 and the new parliament would draft a new constitution that would transfer power to democratic institutions.

But days before the second round of the presidential ballot — the runoff vote between Mr. Morsi and Mr. Shafik — the constitutional court held that the parliamentary vote was invalid and dissolved the body. The ruling was technically correct: The interim constitution set aside one-third of the seats in the new Parliament for "independents" but election officials allowed politicians affiliated with parties to run as independents. In addition, the court also challenged the decision to allow Mr. Shafiq to run in the first round of the presidential election even though a law had been passed that disqualified him; the constitutionality of that law had been challenged but no final decision had been reached.