Egyptian president-elect Mohamed Morsi spoke on Friday (June 29th) to thousands of people in Cairo's Tahrir Square, one day before he will be sworn into office before the Supreme Constitutional Court, AFP reported.

In his speech, Morsi paid tribute to Egypt's Muslims and Christians alike and symbolically swore himself in as the country's first elected civilian president.

He promised a "civilian state" and praised "the square of the revolution, the square of freedom", in what he called an address to "the free world, Arabs, Muslims […] the Muslims of Egypt, Christians of Egypt".

"I swear to preserve the republican system […] and preserve the independence" of Egypt, Morsi said.

The official Middle East News Agency reported late Thursday that Morsi "will go at 11 a.m. Saturday to the [Supreme] Constitutional Court to take the oath before the Court's general assembly".

Traditionally the president takes the oath before parliament, but the Court ordered the legislature to be disbanded.