Egypt’s new PM claims more powers than predecessors

Kamal al-Ganzouri said that the military ruler has no intention of staying in power Egypt’s new prime minister said the military has given him greater powers than his predecessor as the European Union urged Cairo to move quickly towards a civilian government. Kamal al-Ganzouri said Friday that military ruler Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi has no intention of staying in power and he would not have accepted the job if that was the case, according to The Associated Press.
Previous cabinets over the past 60 years were given many powers by the president of the republic,“ Ganzouri said. He himself had been granted “much more powers“ than past prime ministers.
In a televised news conference, the 78-year-old prime minister looked uncomfortable, grasping for words and repeatedly pausing.
He said he won’t be able to form a government before parliamentary elections start on Monday.
Ganzouri, 79, is a former premier and veteran economist, but his appointment is not likely to satisfy mass calls for a fresh face to lead the country to democratic rule, according to AFP.
Earlier, protesters blocked the entrance to Egypt’s cabinet headquarters on Friday in a bid to prevent Ganzouri from entering the building, an AFP reporter said.
The action was in protest at Ganzuri’s appointment, one of the organizers, Ahmed Zahran, told AFP, adding that a news conference would follow shortly.
The ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), which took power when Hosni Mubarak was ousted in February, said Friday it had tasked Ganzouri with forming a new cabinet.
The appointment comes after a week of protests and deadly clashes in Cairo and other provinces demanding an end to military rule.
But leadership risks being a poisoned chalice, with protesters determined to bring down any premier who is not given full powers by the military.
On Tuesday, the SCAF accepted the resignation of the caretaker cabinet headed by the once-popular Essam Sharaf, whose fall from grace was due to his perceived weakness in the face of the army.
Tantawi, Mubarak’s long time defense minister now in charge of the country, has vowed to give Ganzouri the prerogatives to lead the country through the fragile transition.
Ganzouri, who served under Mubarak from 1996 to 1999, is an economic expert considered one of the primary architects of the free-market reforms launched in Egypt in 1991.
On Thursday, private television channels had leaked the news of Ganzouri’s appointment, sparking criticism from the Tahrir Square protesters.
“I think he was popular in his era, and successful. He did good during his period, but this is not his time,” said Abdullah Ahmed 22, a university student.
“He’s a good guy, but the square doesn’t want him, ” said Yahya Hamad.
Born on Jan. 12, 1933, in the province of Menufiya, Ganzouri was considered incontestably loyal to Mubarak, before a fall out with his former boss thrust him out of the limelight for 11 years.
After the popular uprisings earlier this year that toppled Mubarak, Ganzouri distanced himself from the former leader in a television interview, prompting several Facebook pages to recommend him as a future presidential candidate.
With a degree in agriculture from the University of Cairo and a doctorate in economics from Michigan University in the United States, Ganzouri has held several important posts over the last 20 years.
From 1975 to 1977, he was governor of the western province of al-Wadi al-Gadid and of Bani Sueif province in central Egypt, before directing the national planning institute between 1977 and 1986, which is responsible for the country's economic policy.
He made a name for himself by working to strengthen ties between Egypt and the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
He led negotiations between his country and the IMF in 1991, the same year the free-market reforms were launched in Egypt under the fund's guidance.
The European Union on Friday condemned “excessive violence” in Egypt’s handling of protesters seeking an end to military rule and urged Cairo to move quickly towards a civilian government.
Demonstrators in Cairo, where 41 people have been killed in violence before a parliamentary election due to begin on Monday, accuse the military leadership of seeking to hold onto power from behind the scenes.
“The European Union is deeply concerned about the critical situation in Egypt and condemns the excessive violence committed by the Egyptian authorities against the population, ” EU foreign policy spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic told a regular news briefing, according to Reuters.
“We urge a swift handover to civilian government and underline the need for democratic transition to be transparent, fair and accountable. The elections must respect the timetable that was announced. ”
She said the European Union expected an independent investigation into the events in Cairo. She reiterated that the EU deplored the loss of life and that “law and order must be ensured in a manner that is respectful of human rights. ”