Hazem Al-Beblawi appointed Prime Minister (original) (raw)

Egypt’s interim president Adly Mansour (R) meeting with new-appointed Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawi
(AFP PHOTO / EGYPTIAN PRESIDENCY)

Hazem Al-Beblawi has been selected as Egypt’s prime minister, while Mohamed ElBaradei was chosen to become vice president for foreign affairs.

Al-Beblawi, 77, studied law at Cairo University, receiving his degree in 1957 before receiving a post-graduate degree in economics from the University of Grenoble in 1961 and a doctorate in economics from the University of Paris in 1964.

Before his work in government, Al-Beblawi managed the economics department at the Industrial Bank of Kuwait and was the Chairman of the Export Development Bank of Egypt for 12 years.

Al-Beblawi was also undersecretary-general of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia and was an advisor to the Arab Monetary Fund.

The liberal economist was a founding member of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party following the January 25th Revolution.

He was appointed as minister of finance and deputy prime minister for economic affairs under former Prime Minister Essam Sharaf as part of a cabinet reshuffle in July 2011. Al-Beblawi submitted his resignation in October following the Maspero massacre, but his submission was turned down by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. He remained in his post until that December.

ElBaradei, the new vice president for foreign relations, had been previously supported by a number of groups for the prime minister post, but was turned down by the Salafi Al-Nour Party.

The Nobel laureate and Chairman of Al-Dostour Party initially announced his intention to run for president in 2011 following the revolution, but then declared that he would not seek the presidency.

The general coordinator of the National Salvation Front was an outspoken critic of Egypt’s transition following 25 January and ousted president Mohamed Morsi’s policies.

Before the revolution, ElBaradei was in charge of the National Association for Change, a group calling for governmental reforms. The campaign, which called for a number of reforms including ending the state of emergency, judicial oversight of elections and other measures, was supported by opposition groups and figures under Mubarak including the Muslim Brotherhood.

Al-Beblawi is expected to begin forming his cabinet this week.