Hazem El-Beblawi, Egypt’s interim prime minister, has started the process of assembling a cabinet by making appointments to several key ministerial positions.
Nibil Fahmy, formerly Egypt’s ambassador to the US has been given the post of foreign minister, possibly a sign of the importance placed on the $1.3 billion of military aid the US provides.
Other key appointments include liberal economist Ahmed Galal, who has agreed to take on the role of finance minister and senior Judge Mohamed Amin el-Mahdy, who was appointed as justice minister. Meanwhile, opposition leader Mohammed ElBaradei, who led the country’s main opposition group, the National Salvation Front (NSF), has been sworn in as interim vice president.
According to NSF spokesman Khaled Dawoud, ElBaradei no longer heads the coalition. “He is now a vice president for all Egyptians,” Dawoud said.
The appointments came as the caretaker prime minister held a second day of meetings with candidates for his new army-backed cabinet. It is expected to have around 30 ministries and is likely to be unveiled within the next few days.
The cabinet will replace Egypt’s first democratically elected government under President Mohammed Morsi who was ousted by the military two weeks ago. The military has pledged to hold parliamentary elections in around six months.
