[An Nahar] Egypt's army chief, who has made no secret of his intention to stand for president despite not yet announcing his candidacy, remains defense minister in a new cabinet sworn in Saturday.Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi retains the defense portfolio in the new line-up led by Ibrahim Mahlab, a former member of ousted strongman Hosni Mubarak
...The former President-for-Life of Egypt, dumped by popular demand in early 2011...
's ruling party.
The cabinet, which is tasked with organizing the presidential election, is expected to work in Sisi's favor, after the previous government faced mounting criticism for failing to tackle a floundering economy and worsening industrial unrest.
A majority of the 31-member cabinet also served in the previous administration led by Hazem al-Beblawi.
Sisi, who has emerged as Egypt's most popular political figure since leading the ouster of Islamist president Mohammed Morsi
...the former president of Egypt. A proponent of the
One Man, One Vote, One Timeprinciple, Morsi won election after the deposal of Hosni Mubarak and jumped to the conclusion it was his turn to be dictator...
last July, has not officially announced his presidential candidacy.
But his aides say he has already decided to stand in the election scheduled for the spring. In order to do so, Sisi must first step down as defense minister and army chief.
One of his aides told Agence La Belle France Presse this week Sisi is expected to stay on as defense minister until an electoral law has been passed.
The new government led by Mahlab, a former member of Mubarak's National Democratic Party, faces a host of challenges including huge security problems and economic woes.
The forthcoming presidential election is seen as a major step in a roadmap outlined by the interim military-installed authorities after Morsi's ouster.
Morsi, Egypt's first democratically elected and civilian president, was removed after mass protests against his year-long rule which was marred by allegations of power grabbing and making an already dilapidated economy even worse.
Analysts say the formation of a new government by Mahlab, who was also a member of the upper house of parliament in 2010 during Mubarak's presidency, is likely to work in Sisi's favor as he would like to stand for president with a government that has a good record.
Since July, Egypt has been battling deadly street violence and Death Eater attacks that have scared off foreign investors and tourists alike.