Egypt's Nobel prize laureate Mohamed El Baradei on Saturday urged President Hosni Mubarak to step down, saying that the appointment of a vice president and a new prime minister is not enough.

The comment came after President Mubarak swore in intelligence chief Omar Suleiman as vice president and appointed former air force commander and aviation minister Ahmed Shafik as the new prime minister.

Baradie said he holds respect for Suleiman and Shafik, but " replacing individuals is not enough," according to a report by Al Jazeera television.

He urged Mubarak to step down as president and leave Egypt as soon as possible.