Sisi swears in new Egypt government

Cairo

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al Sisi swore in a new government yesterday that included 16 new ministers, a week after the previous administration resigned following a corruption scandal.

Sharif Ismail, who served as petroleum minister in the last cabinet, was sworn in as prime minister in a ceremony shown on state television.

The ministers of foreign affairs, defence, interior, justice and finance have kept their positions in the new cabinet.

Former premier Ibrahim Mahlab's government resigned on September 12 days after the arrest of agriculture minister Salah Helal as part of a corruption probe.

It had also come under growing criticism for delays in economic projects.

A senior government official had said the reshuffle, the first major shake-up since Sisi won elections last year, was meant to "pump new blood" into the government.

Ismail is seen as a veteran technocrat with experience in state-owned oil companies before he joined the cabinet in 2013.

In his first remarks after assuming his post, Ismail struck a note of caution and warned the new government "does not have a magic wand."

"It will take some time to solve some of the problems," he was quoted as saying by state television.

The new cabinet consists of 16 new ministers, and sees four ministries axed, the presidency said in a statement. The state news agency had reported 15 new ministers.

There had been growing calls for Mahlab's resignation and increasing protests by civil servants over a new law that centralises promotions while taxing bonuses.

Mahlab quit as Egypt prepares to hold long-delayed legislative elections in two phases between October 17 and December 2.

The elections had initially been scheduled for early 2015 but were cancelled by a court on technical grounds.

Mahlab, who had headed the Arab Contractors construction firm, had been appointed by interim president Adly Mansour in March 2014, less than a year after the army led by then defence minister Sisi toppled Islamist president Mohamed Morsi. 

Separately yesterday, Sisi appointed a new state prosecutor, Nabil Sadiq, to replace Hisham Barakat, who was killed in a car bombing in June.

The assassination of Barakat, the most senior government official killed since Morsi's overthrow, helped fast track tough new anti-terrorism laws.

Sisi has been able to pass decrees virtually unchecked in the absence of a parliament, including the subsidy cuts that previous governments had shirked to avoid unrest.

The new parliament, expected to begin work by the end of the year, will review those laws.

However, it is unlikely to present the president with any sustained opposition and will probably be dominated by Sisi loyalists and weak and fractured political parties that have generally backed him.