Egypt's caretaker premier named a new cabinet on Wednesday charged with tackling worsening crime and a sliding economy after the first round of elections showing a landslide victory for Islamist parties.
Interim PM Kamal al-Ganzuri announced his administration following nearly two weeks of delays, reportedly caused by problems in finding a suitable candidate to fill the highly sensitive interior ministry post.
He finally opted for Mohammed Ibrahim Yusuf, who headed police in the district of Giza in Cairo, who was sworn in in front of the head of Egypt's ruling military council Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, state television said.
Police have been accused of brutally handling recent protests against Tantawi, in which 43 people have died, and crime is widely seen as having increased since the ousting of former president Hosni Mubarak in February.
Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel Amr was retained from the former cabinet which resigned in November in the face of escalating protests, while Mumtaz Said was named as finance minister.
Ganzuri, speaking to reporters on Tuesday night, called on all political parties to pull together behind his administration, billed as a "national salvation government".
On Wednesday, the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces also announced it had granted Ganzuri "presidential powers," giving him greater control to run the country but no oversight of the armed forces or judiciary.
The opening round of the first elections since Mubarak's fall wrapped up on Tuesday, showing a crushing victory for Islamist parties over their disorganized and fragmented liberal rivals.
Questions:
1. What post was highly sensitive?
2. How many people have died in recent protests against Tantawi?
3. What did the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces grant Ganzuri?
Answers:
1. Interior ministry
2. 43
3. presidential powers
(中國日報(bào)網(wǎng)英語點(diǎn)津 Rosy 編輯)
About the broadcaster:
Lee Hannon is Chief Editor at China Daily with 15-years experience in print and broadcast journalism. Born in England, Lee has traveled extensively around the world as a journalist including four years as a senior editor in Los Angeles. He now lives in Beijing and is happy to move to China and join the China Daily team.