An industrialist who rose to prominence during the Mubarak era was named Egypt’s new prime minister, a day after his predecessor abruptly announced the resignation of the military-backed government.

    EGYPT’S new prime minister said Tuesday he would seek to eradicate militant violence that has increased since the overthrow of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi, hoping improved security will lead to economic recovery.

    Speaking after his appointment by Adly Mansour, the army-appointed president who has been in office since Morsi’s removal in July, Ibrahim Mahlab, 65, said he hoped to form his government within three or four days.

    “We will work together to restore security and safety to Egypt and crush terrorism in all corners of the country,” said Mahlab, formerly the housing minister, expressing hope for a recovery in the crucial tourism sector.

    “Security and stability in the entire country and crushing terrorism will pave the way for investment.”

    Mahlab is the sixth person to occupy Egypt’s often thankless post of prime minister since the uprising against President Hosni Mubarak three years ago, a period that saw the country’s challenges turn into crises that seemed to defy government solutions. The sense of crisis deepened even further in July, when the military ousted the Islamist president, Morsi, setting off months of bloody civil strife.

    Mahlab is facing labor strikes, anger over power cutoffs and fuel shortages, and a campaign by militants that has targeted the security services as well as tourists. A sweeping campaign of state repression, against Islamist and other dissidents, has contributed to the almost permanent sense of unrest.

    Minutes after the official announcement was made at the presidency, Mahlab told reporters that his Cabinet members will be “holy warriors” in the service of Egyptians.

    He said that his top priority is to improve Egyptians’ living standards, combat terrorism and restore security in order to attract investment and boost the economy. He said this would pave the way for presidential elections.

    “God willing, the presidential elections will pass and will take place in proper conditions of safety, security, transparency,” he said, adding, “the priority is to work day and night … anyone in the Cabinet will be a holy warrior to achieve the goals of the people.”

    When asked about the strikes, Mahlab said that excessive labor demands can “topple the state.”

    Labor official and activist Kamal Abbas saw a positive sign in the resignation of el-Beblawi’s government “in response to the strikes,” but added that workers will wait and see what the new one will bring.

    “This is an example of failed response to the strikes. Instead of sending the buses, why don’t you talk to the workers and when negotiations fail, talk again until we reach a solution,” said Abbas.

    The military, meanwhile, sought to head off a backlash over the strike by public transport workers, sending its own buses to ferry passengers across the capital. “This is to lighten the suffering of citizens and the harm caused by the strikes,” said a statement posted on the Facebook page of military spokesman Col. Ahmed Mohammed Ali.

    Bombings and shootings by militant Islamist groups have become commonplace since the army deposed Morsi after mass protests against his rule.

    While most of the attacks have targeted the security forces, two South Korean tourists were killed in a Feb. 16 bomb attack on a tourist bus in the Sinai Peninsula.

    Mahlab is a civil engineer who was formerly head of one of Egypt’s biggest construction firms. He was also an official in deposed Mubarak’s National Democratic Party.

    He said his government would work to provide a secure climate for a presidential election that army chief Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi — defense minister in the last Cabinet — is widely expected to win, though he has yet to formally declare his candidacy.

    The choice of defense minister in the new government may hold clues as to when Sisi will announce his decision to run: He must vacate the post in order to contest the vote that could be held as soon as April.

    But Mahlab offered no clues as to the choice of defense minister, saying the decision was up to President Mansour.

    During former prime minister Beblawi’s tenure, the state cracked down hard on Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood and rights groups criticized other moves to curb dissent, including a law imposing tough penalties on people who protest illegally.

    Beblawi’s government received billions of dollars in aid from Gulf states hostile to the Muslim Brotherhood but was criticized for failing to take quick steps towards reforming an economy burdened by a massive state subsidy bill.

    Besides serving as chairman and CEO of Arab Contractors Co., Mahlab has also worked in Saudi Arabia, according to a curriculum vitae distributed by the housing ministry.

    “I think he will be a very practical prime minister, but of course it is a very difficult position given the economic problems and the very high expectations of the public,” said Angus Blair, chairman of business and economic forecasting think-tank Signet, who heard Mahlab speak at a recent seminar.

    “He was very frank about the problems Egypt faces and very clear that you have to bring the population with you on what needs to be done in policies that would have to be undertaken to improve the economy,” he said.

    In an apparent reference to recent industrial action, Mahlab promised “dialogue” with workers.

    But he also urged patience from a population desperate for economic improvement. “There are limited resources but there is a promising future awaiting Egypt,” he said.

    Born in 1949, Mahlab is a graduate of Cairo University’s school of engineering. He rose through the ranks of Arab Contractors over several decades, becoming its top manager for 11 years before resigning in 2012.

    Mubarak appointed him to the upper house of parliament, a toothless consultative body called the Shura Council, in 2010. He was also a member of Mubarak’s ruling National Democratic Party, disbanded after the 2011 revolt. Mahlab is married and speaks English and French.(SD-Agencies)