Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has authorized Prime Minister Atef Obeid to assume presidency till his return from Germany, state-run television said on Sunday in Cairo.

This was the first public announcement about the transfer of power when the Egyptian leader is abroad.

Mubarak used to hand over part of his power to the prime minister when he went abroad on official visits, a routine practice which was not made public.

Mubarak left here Sunday morning for the Bavarian State capital of Munich in Germany for a slipped disc operation at Munich Orthopaedics University Hospital.

The surgery, which comes upon the advice of Mubarak's private doctors, is expected to take place on Monday.

On Thursday, Mubarak canceled a meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qurei, who eventually held talks with the 76-year-old Egyptian leader the next day.

Last November, Mubarak suspended his speech before the parliament due to a severe cold.

Source: Xinhua