Egypt’s military chief, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, is to keep his job as defence minister in the country’s new Islamist led government.
His appointment cements the military’s continuing influence in Egypt where it retains control over legislation and the writing of a new constitution despite the transition to civilian rule.
Tantawi held the same post for two decades under President Hosni Mubarak and led the controversial military council which took charge of Egypt after the February 2011 revolution.
President Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood leader, has struggled to wrest power from the military since he was elected in June.
He is the first freely elected President in the nation’s history and also the first Islamist, raising fears among moderate, secular Egyptians of a sharp shift towards religious rule.
But he has sought to calm those fears by pledging to rule for “all Egyptians” and has vowed to protect the rights of minorities and women.
Women and Christians have been given roles in his government, with Islamists, including members of his own Muslim Brotherhood, taking just a handful of posts.
The rest of the new cabinet, due to be sworn in by President Morsi in Cairo, is made up largely of technocrats.
The government was selected by Prime Minister Hisham Qandil – himself not a member of the Islamist movement - who said that “competence” was the most important factor in choosing his 35 ministers.
Mr Qandil, a little known former water minister, is tasked with implementing the Muslim Brotherhood’s “Renaissance Project” to improve Egypt’s economy.
He told Reuters that he would hold a meeting on Saturday to discuss the next steps in approaching the International Monetary Fund for a loan.
Egypt is facing a budget and balance of payments crisis after the post revolution turmoil and political uncertainty spooked foreign investors.
The key tourism sector has been among the hardest hit.
