Egypt’s interim prime minister fills senior cabinet posts

Egypt's interim prime minister Hazem el-Beblawi has started forming a cabinet yesterday filling important posts to lead the country on a "road map" prepared by the army, for restoration of civilian rule after the overthrow of elected president Mohamed Morsi.

Liberal economist, el-Beblawi, 76, was appointed interim prime minister last week. Following his appointment, he sounded out technocrats and liberals for posts in an administration that would govern under a temporary constitution until parliamentary elections in around six months.

Beblawi has turned to another liberal economist, Ahmed Galal, with a doctorate from Boston University, to start repairing the state finances and rescue an economy ravaged by political turmoil over the last couple of years. Galal will serve as finance minister in the administration.

Meanwhile, a former ambassador to the US, Nabil Fahmy, has accepted the post of foreign minister. According to commentators, the appointment underlined the importance the government placed in its relationship with the superpower.

Former senior UN diplomat, Mohamed ElBaradei was sworn in as vice president, a job he was offered last week.

Meanwhile, yesterday marked a week without serious street violence. In the days following the fall of Morsi, clashes between the army, his Islamist supporters and opponents left over 90 people dead.

In a speech to military officers yesterday Justifying the ouster of Morsi, the army chief general Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, said the president had lost legitimacy due to the mass demonstrations against him.

Meanwhile, supporters of deposed president Morsi, who had been holding a sit-in at north Cairo's Rabaa Al-Adawiya Mosque since 28 June, announced that they would hold two marches on Sunday night, with one heading to the headquarters of the National Security Council and the other to the Republican Guard headquarters.

The protesters plan a sit-in to demand the reinstatement of Morsi, who is currently in the custody of the Egyptian military at an unknown location.

Last evening two military helicopters are said to  have dropped leaflets on protesters, urging them to leave for their own safety.

Last Monday, over 51 people, mainly supporters of Morsi, were killed in clashes with military forces after a protest at the Republican Guard headquarters in Cairo. According to the armed forces Morsi  supporters attacked the building, but according to the Muslim Brotherhood, protesters had been peaceful.

Pro- Morsi groups staged similar rallies in a number of governorates on yesterday, including Suez, Sharqiya, Alexandria, and Kafr El-Sheikh.