Egyptian officials said a liberal economist has emerged as a strong candidate for prime minister after hours of negotiations between secular and liberal factions and ultraconservative Islamist, news agencies reported. A spokesman for the interim president told Egypt's ONTV that Ziad Bahaa-Eldin is the top candidate for the post with reform leader Mohammed ElBaradei taking a vice president post. Bahaa-Eldin tells The Associated Press he "is still thinking about it." The 48-year-old economist's name emerged after an ultraconservative Salafi party blocked an attempt to appoint ElBaradei as prime minister. A senior official in the National Salvation Front says ElBaradei and Bahaa-Eldin would work "as a team." The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions were still ongoing.
