Egypt appoints Mubarak-era figure as PM

Outgoing Housing Minister Ibrahim Mahlab was appointed Tuesday as Egypt’s new prime minister after the resignation of the cabinet installed by the military following last year’s overthrow of Islamist President Mohammad Mursi.

In a press conference held shortly after his appointment, Mahlab said he hopes to form a new cabinet within three or four days.

Mahlab said his cabinet members will be “holy warriors” in the service of Egyptians and added that restoring security in the country will be a top priority.

“We will work together to restore security and safety to Egypt and crush terrorism in all corners of the country,” he said.

Mahlab, a former official in deposed President Hosni Mubarak’s National Democratic Party, is a civil engineer who formerly served as chairman and CEO of Arab Contractors Company, a large Egyptian civil engineering firm.

He was appointed following the resignation of Interim-Prime Minister Hazem Beblawi on Monday.

Many saw the move as paving the way for defense minister Field Marshal Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to run for the presidency and to defuse mounting popular anger at the government’s perceived failure to revive the economy and improve government services.

(With AFP, Reuters and AP)