Egypt: Senior economist named prime minister

7/9/2013
ASSOCIATED PRESS
  • APTOPIX-Mideast-Egypt-90

    A supporter of ousted President Mohammed Morsi with a national flag gestures to army soldiers guard at the Republican Guard building in Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, July 9, 2013. Egyptian security forces killed dozens of supporters of Egypt's ousted president in one of the deadliest single episodes of violence in more than two and a half years of turmoil. The toppled leader's Muslim Brotherhood called for an uprising, accusing troops of gunning down protesters, while the military blamed armed Islamists for provoking its forces. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

    ASSOCIATED PRESS

    • CAIRO — The spokesman of Egypt’s interim president says a prominent economist, Hazem el-Beblawi, has been named prime minister and pro-democracy leader Mohamed ElBaradei as a vice president.

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    Ahmed el-Musalamani made the announcements today after days of political stalemate over the prime minister post. Last week, ElBaradei was on the verge of being named prime minister, but at the last minute an Islamist party involved in the discussions blocked ElBaradei’s appointment.

    El-Beblawi, who is in his 70s, served as finance minister in one of the first cabinets formed after the 2011 uprising forced Hosni Mubarak from power and the military stepped in to rule.

    He resigned in protest in October 2011 after 26 protesters, mostly Christians, were killed by troops and security forces in a crackdown on their march.