Egypt: Government of Ibrahim Mehleb resigns, new Prime Minister appointed

Egypt's Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb and Egypt's President
Abdel Fattah El-Sisi
(Image: Ahram Online)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi accepted on Saturday, 12 September resignation of Egypt's Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb, according to the state-owned MENA news agency. The entire Cabinet of Ministers of the country resigned as well.

The Cabinet members have met earlier on Satuday, and the decision was taken to submit their resignation to the state's President. The resignation was accepted by Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, but he ordered that the Cabinet will continue carrying out its duties until the new government will be formed.

Later that day Egyptian President has appointed Petroleum Minister Sherif Ismail as a new Prime Minister and tasked him with forming the new Cabinet.

Ibrahim Mehleb was appointed as Prime Minister by the interim President of Egypt Adly Mansour in February 2014, during the transitional period. After Abdel Fattah El-Sisi was elected the country's President he appointed Ibrahim Mehleb Prime Minister again.

Cabinet reshuffle in March this year changed six ministers, including the Minister of Interior Mohamed Ibrahim.

It was reported before that the Cabinet will not be reshuffled until the upcoming parliamentary elections scheduled to be held in October and November 2015. The newly elected Parliament was expect to appoint the new members of the government.

Ibrahim Mehleb's Cabinet resignation was followed by the forced resignation of Egypt's Agriculture Minister Salah Helal last week, who was later arrested on charges of corruption. There were also unconfirmed reports that several other members of Ibrahim Mehleb's Cabinet could be also charged and accused of corruption, though there were no clear details and confirmation of these reports yet.

Sherif Ismail, newly appointed Prime Minister of Egypt, served as a Petroleum Minister in Ibrahim Mehleb's government. He is a mechanical engineer by trade and has graduated from an engineering faculty of Ein Shams University in Cairo. He worked in an oil and petroleum sector and is a Chairman of Egypt's Natural Gas Holding Company.