AP, Cairo :
Egypt’s interim president chose the outgoing housing minister, a construction magnate from the era of ousted autocrat Hosni Mubarak, as his new prime minister on Tuesday, some two months ahead of key presidential elections.
The switch from veteran economist Hazem el-Beblawi to Ibrahim Mehlib, who successfully led Egypt’s biggest construction company for a decade, appeared orchestrated to give Field Marshal Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, the country’s military chief, a window for a quieter street after a spike in labor strikes with the potential of triggering wider unrest.
El-Sissi overthrew Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in July and backed el-Beblawi’s government through tumultuous times, including a heavy crackdown on Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood, and a nationwide referendum that adopted a new constitution while Islamic militant insurgency and terror attacks surged.
With his presidential bid almost certain, el-Sissi must leave the military to run for president. However, a senior government official said the 59-year-old soldier will retain his defense minister’s post in the next Cabinet. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the press.
