Egypt swears in Mohamed ElBaradei as interim vice-president

Mohamed ElBaradei, a former senior UN diplomat, was sworn in on Sunday as vice president, a job he was offered last week, as Egypt's interim prime minister assembled his cabinet.

Hazem el-Beblawi, a 76-year-old liberal economist appointed interim prime minister last week, is tapping technocrats and liberals for a government to run the country under a temporary constitution until parliamentary elections in about six months.

A former ambassador to the United States, Nabil Fahmy, accepted the post of foreign minister, a sign of the importance the government places in its relationship with the superpower that provides $1.3 billion a year in military aid.

"I was asked to take on the post of Foreign minister in the new cabinet, and I listened to the [prime minister's] vision for this post, discussed a few issues and I accepted this position."

Hany Kadri to be offered finance ministry

Government sources have told Reuters that el-Beblawi will offer the finance ministry to Hany Kadri, formerly the official who oversaw Egypt's negotiations for a rescue with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which stalled under deposed Islamist president, Mohammed Morsi.

Notably, Kadri is a member of the Coptic Christian minority, 10 per cent of the population, which complained of being marginalised under Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood. Morsi's cabinet had only one Christian, as minister of scientific research.Accepting the position of culture minister was Inas Abdel Dayem.

"Hazem El-Beblawi asked me to head the culture ministry, and I will hopefully be in everyone's good grace," she said.

Information minister Dareya Sharaf said she hopes to restore the media's identity.

"I have been asked to head the information ministry, and I hope that in the coming few days, Egyptian media can become like it was before, whether official state media or privately owned press," she said.

Sunday marks a week without street violence after clashes between the army, Morsi supporters and opponents killed more than 90 people in the days after his overthrow.

Also, there has been a step-up in attacks in Egypt?s Sinai peninsula since the overthrow of Morsi that has raised concerns over militancy.

Some experts are saying that fears of violence may spread from the Sinai into rest of Egypt.

Israel is keeping a watchful eye on the desert peninsula

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/07/14/egypt-elbaradei-sinai.html?cmp=rss

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