Liberal economist new Egypt PM, ElBaradei VP: State media

CAIRO - Agence France-Presse

In this handout picture made available by the Egyptian presidency shows Egypt's interim president Adly Mansour (R) meeting with with new-appointed Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawi, July 9. AFP photo

Egypt's interim president on July 9 named liberal economist Hazem al-Beblawi, a former finance minister, as the country's new prime minister, presidential spokesman Ahmed al-Muslimani said.

Liberal opposition chief and Nobel Peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei was named vice president for foreign relations, Muslimani said.

The appointments come almost a week after the military overthrew elected President Mohamed Morsi and chose chief justice Adly Mansour to head the Arab world's most populous country.

ElBaradei was initially tipped to lead the cabinet but his nomination was rejected by the Salafist al-Nur party.

Beblawi now faces the daunting task of trying to reunite a deeply divided country and rescue its battered economy.

Army warns against disrupting tension

Meanwhile, Egypt's armed forces warned in a statement against any attempt to disrupt the country's "difficult and complex" transition.

The statement, read out on state television, comes almost a week after the army overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and appointed top judge Adly Mansour as caretaker leader.

Mansour issued yesterday a temporary constitution outlining the timetable for the transition until presidential elections are held next year.

The armed forces said that it and the people of Egypt would not accept "the stalling or disruption" of this "difficult and complex" period.

Egypt's Tamarod campaign which launched the protests that prompted Morsi's ouster called for changes to the country's interim charter, their spokesman told AFP.

Mahmud Badr said his group was drafting proposed amendments to the temporary constitution with the help of experts, including newly-appointed vice-president Mohamed ElBaradei, which they would present to the president later today.

Badr said they had not seen the charter, which outlines the president's powers and lays out a timetable for fresh elections, before it was adopted late on Monday by Egypt's interim leader Adly Mansour.