Ziad Bahaa El-Din, founding member of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, has been offered to become Egypt's new Prime Minister, sources told Ahram Online on Sunday. When contacted by Ahram Online, El-Din, who was also the head of Egypt's General Authority for Investment, said "a decision is neither final nor official". Liberal politician Mohamed ElBaradei, who was a vocal critic of the Muslim Brotherhood rule, is set to be appointed as vice-president, Ahram Online has learned. ElBaradei, the former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was tipped to become the new prime minister but his candidacy was dropped after Salafist Nour party voiced objection. Ziad Ahmed Bahaa El-Din has served as chairman of the Egyptian Financial Supervisory Authority in 2008. He was a non-executive member of the board of directors of both the Central Bank of Egypt and the National Bank of Egypt, and chairman of the Upper Egypt Investment Company. Bahaa El-Din was voted in as a member of the now-dissolved parliament in 2011. As one of the founding members of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, Bahaa El-Din ran on the Egyptian Bloc list in Assiut, the Upper Egyptian governorate from which his family hails. He served as chairman of the Egyptian General Authority for Investment and Free Zones from 2004 to 2007. From 1997 to 2000, Bahaa El-Din was a senior legal advisor to Egypt's economy ministry. He was also a lecturer at Cairo University's law faculty from 1998 to 2004. Bahaa El-Din received a BA in economics from the American University in Cairo (1987) and a BA in law from Cairo University (1986). He earned a Ph.D. in financial law from the London School of Economics in 1996, and his Master's Degree in international business law from King's College London. Egypt's presidency has yet to officially confirm the appointment of ElBaradei and Bahaa El-Din. Nour deputy head Bassam El-Zarka said the party would welcome the appointment of El-Din as a prime minister. "He is one of the liberal figures that we greatly respect," he said in a phone interview with Egyptian satellite channel Al-Hayat. Later in the evening, Al-Nour party president Younis Makhyoun told Egyptian media that his party will reject Bahaa El-Din nomination since he is part of the anti-Morsi National Salvation Front. Source : Ahram
