Tantawi to remain in government

The member of the Supreme Council of Armed Forces (SCAF) Major General Mohamed al-Assar has reveleaed that Hussien Tantawi will remain the defence minister in the new government. Assar said Wednesday to Egyptian television station CBC, that the formation of SCAF and the position of the defence minister will not be changed by the President-elect Mohammed Morsi during the coming period and the minister of defence will remain the supreme commander of the armed forces. He added that this will be the case until the election of a new parliament, confirming that the executive power will be fully handed over to the new president and that the legislative power would follow after electing the new parliament. Tantawi has occupied that position of Egypt’s defence minister since 1991.