Newly-appointed Prime Minister Hesham Qandil meets Saturday with President Mohamed Morsy to discuss the candidates for ministerial portfolios in his government.
A source from within the presidency told Al-Masry Al-Youm that decisions on the key ministries will be made within hours, and candidates to head the foreign affairs, defense, interior, and information ministries will soon be announced.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces wants to hold on to about four ministers, which are headed by military figures from the former government, including the ministry of Information, now held by Ahmed Anis, the source said.
Four candidates have declined the post of deputy prime minister for economic affairs in the new government: Central Bank of Egypt governor Farouk al-Oqda, Commercial International Bank vice president Hisham Ramez, Financial Regulatory Agency chairperson Ziad Bahaa Eddin, and National Bank chairperson Tareq Amer.
Qandil met on Saturday morning with Amer, who declined the job after talks that lasted almost an hour and a half at the General Investment Authority. Qandil also met Friday evening with Bahaa Eddin and Ramez, who also turned down the post.
A cabinet source said that in an attempt to break this deadlock, the name of Momtaz al-Saeed, the finance minister in the interim cabinet, was put forward. Qandil then met Saturday morning with Saeed. It is their second meeting.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
