Egypt housing minister Mahlab to be new premier
Egyptian housing minister Ibrahim Mahlab has been charged with forming a new cabinet, state-run newspaper Al-Ahram's website quoted him as saying Tuesday.
The newspaper said Mahlab confirmed his appointment as prime minister-designate after a brief meeting with interim President Adly Mansour.
Mahlab is an engineer who headed a key state-owned construction company from 2001 to 2012. According to Egyptian media, prior to Egypt's 2011 revolution against long-term leader Hosny Mubarak he was a senior member of the ruling National Democratic Party.
The appointment comes a day after outgoing premier Hazem Beblawy tendered his government's resignation. Al-Ahram reported in its Tuesday edition that army chief and Defence Minister Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi would remain in office in the next government.
Al-Sissi is widely expected to announce his resignation shortly in order to contest the presidential elections, due by mid-April under the new constitution.
The military leader, widely seen as the most powerful man in the country, has been lionized in Egyptian media since he deposed Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in July in the wake of massive protests.
- Sapa