Sisi to stay as defence minister in new government

Egyptian military chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi will stay as defense minister in the nation's new government, state-run Ahram website said Wednesday, adding five other outgoing ministers also will keep their jobs. The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, authorized to appoint defense minister, did not assign anyone to replace Sisi at its meeting on Wednesday, Ahram said. Sisi is expected to announce whether he will contest presidency in the upcoming elections after a new presidential law is approved, an official source told Xinhua. Meanwhile, state-run Nile TV said interim Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab reappointed Wednesday five ministers from the outgoing cabinet in his new government, including Petroleum Minister Sherif Ismail, Planning Minister Ashraf al-Arabi and Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim. Also, Minister of Local Development Adel Labib and Education Minister Mahmoud Mohamed Abu El-Nasr will be in the new line-up expected to be announced on Saturday. On Monday, the Egyptian interim government presided over by Hazem al-Beblawi, which took office last July following the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, tendered its resignation. On Tuesday, outgoing Housing Minister Mahlab was appointed as Beblawi's successor to form a new government.