El-Beblawi’s government resigns to surprise, cheers from some

Prime Minister Hazem El-Beblawi announced on State TV Monday that his cabinet has submitted its resignation to interim President Adly Mansour.

Beblawi said in a mid-day televised speech that “reform cannot take place through the government alone,” and urged Egyptians from all walks of life to participate in achieving change.

Beblawi also said that Egypt currently faces huge challenges as well as great opportunities to be grasped.

“It is time we all sacrificed for the good of the country. Rather than asking what has Egypt given us, we should instead be asking what we have done for Egypt,” he added.

The resignation caught some pundits by surprise and created furious debate on social media and local satellite networks.

Speculation was rife as some theorized that the resignations would pave the way for Defense Minister Abdel-Fatah El-Sissi to announce his run for the presidency, while others questioned which ministers would remain in place.

A number of political groups have yet to issue statements and have told The Caravan that they will hold press conferences on Tuesday to comment on the resignations.

Beblawi’s government has been the focus of considerable criticism in the past few weeks, with some in the political spectrum openly calling for resignations of some ministers.

A number of Egyptian political groups and unions welcomed Monday’s resignation of the cabinet.

Al Wasat Islamist party spokesperson Amr Farouk said the government has impoverished and divided the Egyptian people, and demanded “a fair prosecution for the government in front of the Egyptian people.”

Head of Al Nour party Youness Makhyoun said the government’s resignation was “predictable” as the government was very “weak” and “isolated from the people.”

But Al-Wafd party member Ahmed Attalah believes that the resignation was only a move to “extend this government’s longevity till after the presidential elections.”

“Any minister who has expressed resentment towards El-Sissi is to be removed in my estimation, but I don’t think the Minister of Interior is to be changed,” Attalah added.

Beblawi replaced former Prime Minister Hisham Qandil last July after the overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi amid massive protests on 30 June 2013.

In recent weeks, Beblawi’s government was challenged by several strikes among textile workers, low-ranking policemen, doctors as well as public transport workers who expressed anger over low or unpaid wages and ineffective management.

Leader of the Iron and Steel Workers strike Mohamed Omar, said the the workers “are very happy to hear about the government’s resignation.”

He added that the workers have long criticized the ex-government for not being “revolutionary” and for being “shaky with no coordination between ministries.”

Meanwhile, Egypt’s benchmark stock exchange – EGX30 – welcomed the cabinet resignations as its index went up 0.3 percent to what the CNBC network said was the highest level in five years.