Egypt maneuvers: Cabinet talks begin, Muslim Brotherhood arrests ordered

Egypt’s newly appointed Interim Prime Minister Hazem El-Biblawi said talks had begun on forming a cabinet and were expected to last a “few days."

"The talks are still ongoing with different candidates, and I expect we will finalize the formation of the cabinet by early next week," Biblawi told Reuters on Wednesday.

Presidential Adviser Ahmed El-Meslemani told satellite channel CBC that members of the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood would be offered ministerial positions.

Also on Wednesday, Egypt's state prosecutor signed a warrent for the arrest of Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie and at least nine others on charges of violence during the nation's latest political unrest, according to BBC News as well as Reuters.

The cabinet negotiations are the latest move by Interim President Adly Mansour to put Egypt back on a path to democracy following the removal of President Mohamed Morsi, of the Muslim Brotherhood. Morsi is currently being kept in a "safe place," a foreign ministry official told the BBC. 

The international community is keeping a close watch on events in Egypt. Unnamed US officials told Reuters that American F-16 fighter will be delivered to Egypt as promised despite unrest in which the role of the powerful Egyptian military is, as of yet, unclear. The Reuters report could not be independently confirmed, however — White House spokesman Jay Carney refused comment on the jets when pressed by reporters on Wednesday, according to The Atlantic.

More from GlobalPost: Egypt: Hazem el-Biblawi to be interim prime minister

Earlier this week, Mansour appointed Biblawi and a temporary vice president and announced a plan to hold elections.

The National Salvation Front — an umbrella group representing Morsi’s political opponents — and the liberal Tamarod group appear willing to participate in Mansour’s plan, although Tamarod noted it had not been consulted on the constitutional roadmap, The Washington Post reported.

Tamarod officials said Wednesday they would “hand the presidency our amendments today.”

Meanwhile, the pro-Morsi Muslim Brotherhood has condemned the plan.

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