PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
Egypt swears in new Cabinet
Cairo, Egypt (PANA) - Egypt's new Cabinet members were Thursday sworn into office before the head of the country's interim ruling Supreme Council of Armed Forces, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi.
Tantawi thereafter held a closed-door meeting with the new Cabinet members, asking them to make the restoration of security, stability and safety on Egyptian streets a top priority.
Tantawi also charged them to work towards achieving the demands of the 25 January revolutionists as embraced by the people.
Fourteen new ministers were included in the 27-member Cabinet, making for a bigger than 50% reshuffle as was expected.
This was the second ministerial reshuffle since the February stepping down of Egypt's former president, Hosni Mubarak, after 18 days of popular uprising.
The new line-up saw a total reshuffle of the economic team, which is now headed by deputy Prime Minister Hazem Al-Biblawi, who will oversee the finance portfolio.
Prime Minister Essam Sharaf has another deputy in Aly Al-Selmy of the biggest liberal party in Egypt, Al-Wafd, who is charged with democratic transition and national dialogue matters, along with the Public Sector Works portfolio.
The proposed major changes aim to positively respond to growing calls for the need for urgent economic, social justice oriented measures to help alleviate the suffering of some 40% Egyptians, who live under the poverty line.
It is also aimed at finding jobs for the millions of unemployed youth, through the establishment of new mammoth governmental infrastructure projects in Egypt.
Egypt also has a new Foreign Minister in Mohamed Kamel Amr, who replaced Mohamed Al-Oraby, who resigned to adhere to what he called the will of the January revolution, which wanted to see all former members of the dissolved party of the ousted regime on the sidelines.
Egypt's new top diplomat affirmed that Arab and African issues would remain the top priorities for Egypt in the post-revolution era.
Two key ministers who kept their jobs were Minsiter of Interior Mansour Al-Essawy and Minister of Justice Abdel-Aziz Al-Guendy.
Other key ministers who kept their positions included those of Planning and International Cooperation, Petroleum, Electricity, Housing, Tourism, Culture, Manpower and Education.
Those that witnessed change included the Ministries of Military Production, Domestic development, Agriculture, Irrigation, Health and Communications.
Sharaf, who is backed by the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, has already led a major reshuffle of the Ministry of Interior, blamed for the killing of hundreds of revolution martyrs in the January 25th revolution.
The Egyptian Premier is also seen as ready to speed up the trials of the key figures of the ousted Mubarak regime and its opening to the public, accepted by the Higher Judiciary Council.
Protesters still want to see the ousted President, who is receiving medical treatment in Sinai's international hospital, brought to a jail hospital like the rest of his top aides, but official reports indicated that Mubarak is likely to face trial in Sinai.
They also want faster and more serious reforms in the police, media and the judiciary.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces last week renewed its pledge to continue to protect the revolution it embraced from the first day and lead the country to a democratically-elected civilian administration before the end of 2011.
-0- PANA MI/BOS 21July2011
Tantawi thereafter held a closed-door meeting with the new Cabinet members, asking them to make the restoration of security, stability and safety on Egyptian streets a top priority.
Tantawi also charged them to work towards achieving the demands of the 25 January revolutionists as embraced by the people.
Fourteen new ministers were included in the 27-member Cabinet, making for a bigger than 50% reshuffle as was expected.
This was the second ministerial reshuffle since the February stepping down of Egypt's former president, Hosni Mubarak, after 18 days of popular uprising.
The new line-up saw a total reshuffle of the economic team, which is now headed by deputy Prime Minister Hazem Al-Biblawi, who will oversee the finance portfolio.
Prime Minister Essam Sharaf has another deputy in Aly Al-Selmy of the biggest liberal party in Egypt, Al-Wafd, who is charged with democratic transition and national dialogue matters, along with the Public Sector Works portfolio.
The proposed major changes aim to positively respond to growing calls for the need for urgent economic, social justice oriented measures to help alleviate the suffering of some 40% Egyptians, who live under the poverty line.
It is also aimed at finding jobs for the millions of unemployed youth, through the establishment of new mammoth governmental infrastructure projects in Egypt.
Egypt also has a new Foreign Minister in Mohamed Kamel Amr, who replaced Mohamed Al-Oraby, who resigned to adhere to what he called the will of the January revolution, which wanted to see all former members of the dissolved party of the ousted regime on the sidelines.
Egypt's new top diplomat affirmed that Arab and African issues would remain the top priorities for Egypt in the post-revolution era.
Two key ministers who kept their jobs were Minsiter of Interior Mansour Al-Essawy and Minister of Justice Abdel-Aziz Al-Guendy.
Other key ministers who kept their positions included those of Planning and International Cooperation, Petroleum, Electricity, Housing, Tourism, Culture, Manpower and Education.
Those that witnessed change included the Ministries of Military Production, Domestic development, Agriculture, Irrigation, Health and Communications.
Sharaf, who is backed by the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, has already led a major reshuffle of the Ministry of Interior, blamed for the killing of hundreds of revolution martyrs in the January 25th revolution.
The Egyptian Premier is also seen as ready to speed up the trials of the key figures of the ousted Mubarak regime and its opening to the public, accepted by the Higher Judiciary Council.
Protesters still want to see the ousted President, who is receiving medical treatment in Sinai's international hospital, brought to a jail hospital like the rest of his top aides, but official reports indicated that Mubarak is likely to face trial in Sinai.
They also want faster and more serious reforms in the police, media and the judiciary.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces last week renewed its pledge to continue to protect the revolution it embraced from the first day and lead the country to a democratically-elected civilian administration before the end of 2011.
-0- PANA MI/BOS 21July2011
