Leftist politician Godah Abdel Khalek, meanwhile, declined an offer to return to the post of minister of supply in Egypt's interim government, citing personal reasons.

Two sources in Egypt's transitional administration had earlier said Interim Prime Minister Hazem El-Beblawi would ask Abdel Khalek to serve in the post.

"I was offered the post by Biblawi, but I declined for personal reasons," he told Reuters over the phone.

Abdel Khalek had held the post before for a few months in 2011.

Biblawi, an economist and former finance minister, was named interim prime minister last Tuesday and Mohamed ElBaradei, a former UN diplomat, was named vice president for foreign affairs.

Biblawi is now assembling a government to lead Egypt under an army-backed "road map" to restore full civilian rule.

Biblawi began the task last Wednesday meeting ElBaradei and liberal politician Ziad Bahaa-Eldin.

Biblawi told Reuters last week he accepted that it would be difficult to win the unanimous support of Egyptians for his new government.

"Of course we respect the public opinion and we try to comply with the expectation of the people, but there is always a time of choice, there is more than one alternative, you cannot satisfy all of the people," he said.

SHI/SHI