(CNN) -- Egypt's new temporary government began to take shape on Sunday, with reformer and Nobel laureate Mohamed ElBaradei sworn in as the country's interim vice president for foreign relations.
Nabil Fahmy, former Egyptian ambassador to the United States, accepted the post of foreign minister, he told CNN.
Ahmed Galal, a liberal
economist educated in the United States and a World Bank veteran, has
been appointed as finance minister, and Hisham Zaazou will retain his
post as tourism minister, the state-run MENA news agency said.
These are key first steps
in establishing a civilian governance, after the military overthrew
President Mohammed Morsy in a coup early this month.
And it's the first phase of a transition that is expected to usher in presidential elections next year.
Ruling authorities are
focused on choosing technocrats -- nonpolitical people with expertise in
particular fields -- who will help bring back efficient governance and
foster a functioning economy.
Critics of Morsy's
government have decried what they said was rife administrative
incompetence and political cronyism during the ousted president's
administration -- dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood and its political
wing, the Freedom and Justice Party.
A reason for staging the coup was offered in a statement from Egypt's top military officer, Gen. Abdel-Fatah El-Sisi.
In a statement posted on
the military's Facebook site Sunday, he said that the armed forces
decided to side with "the people" against the Morsy government when the
president refused a demand for a referendum that would authorize a new
presidential election.
"The people were worried
that the state and its tools will be used against their rights, and
therefore, the armed forces had to confirm the legitimacy of the people
and help them restore their inherent rights to choose and decide, and
that is what we did," the statement said.
A technocracy in the making
The choices represent a change in direction, away from the Islamist bent of the Morsy government.
ElBaradei -- who won a
Nobel Peace Prize for his work as director general of the U.N.
International Atomic Energy Agency -- and the others are people with
whom Western governments have been comfortable.
The head of the IAEA
from 1997 to 2009, ElBaradei has been regarded as an outsider in Egypt
because of his international achievements. While he ran unsuccessfully
for president last year, he persisted as a reformer and has a reputation
as a technocrat.
Fahmy is the founding
dean of American University in Cairo's School of Public Affairs and a
"career diplomat," according to his bio on the school website.
He has "played an active
role in the numerous efforts to bring peace to the Middle East, as well
as in international and regional disarmament affairs."
Galal is managing
director of the Economic Research Forum -- a research institution
covering the Arab countries, Iran and Turkey -- and fits the bill as a
technocrat.
His bio on the ERF
website calls him "a noted, non-partisan, proponent of the importance of
growth with equity" and of the "vital role of politics for sound
economic policies.
Zaazou was one of the few ministers in Morsy's Cabinet who hadn't been connected to the Muslim Brotherhood.
He resigned from the
Morsy government in the weeks before the coup, because a man associated
with an Islamist group tied to militants who killed tourists in 1997 was
appointed as governor of Luxor province.
International tourism is
a huge business in Egypt, and Luxor, with its ancient monuments, has
been a major tourist attraction. The ongoing political unrest in Egypt
has hurt tourism.
Interim Prime Minister
Hazem El-Beblawi will meet with Cabinet nominees Sunday and Monday in an
effort to complete formation of a new government by Tuesday or
Wednesday, state-run EGYNews reported.
U.S. diplomacy
The United States has
long had a close relationship with Egypt and a high-ranking diplomat is
visiting there to "underscore U.S. support for the Egyptian people," the
State Department said.
Egypt gets $1.3 billion
in annual military aid. During the rule of Hosni Mubarak -- ousted in
2011 at the beginning of the Arab Spring -- the government had been
pro-Western and a bulwark against Muslim extremism. It continues to
maintain a peace treaty and diplomatic ties with Israel.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of
State William J. Burns is visiting Cairo through Tuesday. He will meet
with "interim government officials and civil society and business
leaders." Civil society is a reference to nongovernmental groups and
entities independent of government and business.
Burns will be
emphasizing "an end to all violence, and a transition leading to an
inclusive, democratically elected civilian government."
All of the latest developments come as Egyptian authorities launch an investigation of ousted Morsy as well as several leaders and supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The state prosecutor
opened the probe after receiving complaints against Morsy and FJP
leaders, said Deputy Prosecutor General Adel al-Said.
Prosecutors also froze
the assets of 14 people, including prominent Muslim Brotherhood figures,
as they investigate violence in Cairo.