Egypt PM postpones decision on cabinet

Egypt’s newly-appointed Prime Minister Hisham Kandil said on Friday that the announcement of the new cabinet will be “indefinitely” postponed, Egyptian media reported. The reports quoted Kandil’s office as saying on Friday afternoon that the delay is because consultations on the awaited selections are still taking place. Kandil had on Thursday announced that a new cabinet will be finalised on Friday and officially announced on Saturday. However, Friday’s statement said the postponement has been necessitated as “the sensitivities of some ministries and state institutions have to be respected.” The media suggested that the reference about picking a defence minister. The Pentagon, meanwhile, announced US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta will meet President Mohamed Mursi next week and hold talks with the country’s top general during a trip to the Middle East and North Africa. Panetta will also travel to Israel, Jordan and Tunisia next week, the Pentagon said without disclosing the dates of each visit. Top on the agenda will be Egypt’s turbulent democratic transition, which has seen the military wrestling for influence with the new president. “The secretary is very much looking forward to meeting with senior Egyptian officials and to encourage them to continue the political transition that’s taking place,” said Pentagon spokesman George Little. “I wouldn’t want to get too far ahead of the discussions, since they’re taking place next week.” The Hamas on Friday hailed the meeting between its leader in the Gaza Strip, Ismail Haniyeh, and Mursi, saying it represented a “turning point” in relations. Haniyeh traveled to Cairo on Thursday to meet Mursi, days after Palestinian officials said Egypt had eased visa requirements for Gazans under 40. From: The Gulf today