The court order was the climax of a tense buildup to Thursday's inauguration, which has at times resembled a soap opera more than an orderly democratic transition.
Though the breadth of the opposition makes a democratic transition more likely than in some violent overthrows of other dictatorships, the risk that an undemocratic faction may force its way into power is still a real possibility.
The main Salafist political parties, which are represented in parliament, have far more of a stake in democratic transition than in Tunisia and Libya.
There will doubtless be more hiccups in Tunisia's democratic transition, but this precedent will help the country treat future blockages with confidence rather than anxiety and panic.
As it is, al-Nahda and the leading liberal faction, the Progressive Democratic Party, have made compromises to keep the electoral process on track in the hope that the democratic transition was more important that the result.
Whether the 2014 elections result in a smooth democratic transition or more conflict will to some extent determine whether his years in power come to be regarded as success or failure.
"The military is the only institution able to fill that vacuum, and there will be tanks on the street".In this view, General Suleiman, aged 73, would become president in a constitutional coup, which Mr Harb hopes might then prompt a transition to more democratic politics.
Myanmar, also known as Burma, was ruled by a military junta until 2011 and is still transitioning to more democratic rule, with the roles of its leaders still evolving.
Likening the Arab Spring to the transformation of Central and Eastern Europe after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Group of 8 leading countries meeting in Deauville, France, last May announced a partnership with Egypt, Tunisia and the Arab League to assist their transitions to more democratic societies.
Mr. Hadi's role as president is to lead a transition to a more democratic system.
