Egypt's new premier promises a technocratic cabinet
Author: Nehal El-Sherif
Cairo (dpa) - Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi named the country's new prime minster on Tuesday, and he in turn promised to form a technocratic cabinet in coordination with the president.
Hisham Qandil, who was the minister of water and irrigation in the outgoing cabinet, was asked by Morsi to form a new government, a presidential spokesman said.
Qandil's designation comes around a month after Morsi was elected as the country's first civilian, and Islamist, president.
The new premier said he shared Morsi's 64 objectives for his first 100 days in office, including security and fuel shortages.
"Our priority in the coming period is to implement the 100-day plan ... and I will add to it the issue of (Nile) water, and improving services," Qandil was quoted by state media as saying.
Morsi had vowed to name an independent figure as premier in a bid to reassure those who fear Islamist domination over the government.
But Qandil's powers remain unclear, as the military council - which ruled Egypt for 16 months following the ouster of Hosny Mubarak last year - continues to control a great part of the country's politics.
Qandil said that Morsi was in contact with the military council over the selection of a defence minister in the new cabinet.
Field Marshall Hussein Tantawi has been Egypt's defence minister since 1991. He is also the head of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, which controls the legislative powers and budget until a new parliament is elected.
It is not clear who will have the upper hand in appointing other key ministers, such as the interior and foreign affairs portfolios.
Qandil was appointed as minister of water and irrigation in July last year.
He studied engineering in Cairo, then finished his postgraduate degree in the United States between 1988-93, at the universities of Utah and North Carolina.
Qandil, 50, served as a senior irrigation engineer at the African Development Bank and was part of the Nile Basin Initiative launched in 1999 to develop the river in a cooperative manner.
He recently accompanied Morsi on his visit to Ethiopia, to attend the African Union summit. The trip was also aimed at improving relations with African countries, and especially the Nile Basin countries, following disputes over Nile water shares.
