Egypt's government resigns as Ismail asked to form new cabinet

  • 9 years ago
Egyptians are bewildered at the sudden resignation of the government and prime minister with a general election looming in October.

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has called on the oil minister Sherif Ismail to form a new cabinet within the next week. He will replace Ibrahim Mehleb, several of whose ministers, it is being reported, had failed to impress al-Sisi or are under suspicions of corruption. Egypt’s agriculture minister was arrested last week on corruption charges.

It appears likely the move is a bid by the president to calm infighting and the power struggle going on ahead of the election by at least three factions, the interior ministry, secret service and army, who are presenting candidates, many of whom are significant figures from the toppled Mubarak regime.

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