Cairo - Akram Ali
Hisham Kandil has been accused of giving key ministries to FJP members
Egyptian Prime Minister, Hisham Kandil has declared that President Mohammed Morsi will hold a meeting with the new Council of Ministers, after the new ministers are sworn into office on Sunday.
In a statement, Kandil said that he had met eight
ministers from the ten candidates, and that he will meet the new ministers for Transport and Finance at the headquarters of the Council of Ministers before heading to the Federal Palace to meet President Morsi.
Meanwhile, Dr Emad Gad, a leading member of the Egyptian Social Democratic party said that the new ministerial formation of the new government will only serve the interests of the Muslim Brotherhood group, while Tariq al-Kholi of April 6 said that the cabinet changes is evidence of the group’s plans to dominate the next parliament, through the control of services ministries to empower the group.
National Salvation Front has described the new ministerial reshuffle as \"a continuation of the floundering policy,\" and denied a consultation with Freedom and Justice Party, but expressed appreciation for Kandil.
The reshuffle will include 10 ministers, Hatem Abdel Latif, as a Minister of Transportation, Ahmed Imam as Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Mohamed Ali Bishr for Local Development, Major General Wael el-Madawy as a Minister of Civil Aviation, Khalid Mohammed Fahmi Abdel Aal as Environment Minister, Mohamed Ibrahim for the Interior Ministry, Bassem Kamal Mohammed Odeh as a Minister of Supply, Mursi al-Said Hijazi for the Finance Ministry, Atef Helmy for the Ministry of Communications, and finally Omar Salem as a Minister of Legal and Parliamentary Affairs.
Emad Gad added that the Freedom and Justice Party is in control of the services ministries such as electricity, energy, logistics, transportation in addition to the Ministry of Finance. It is aiming to enhance the popularity of the Brotherhood before the next parliamentary elections.\" He predicted that Kandil’s new government will not last for long.
Similarly, Tariq al-Kholi said in a statement that the \"the ugly face of the ruling group has been exposed,\" adding that \"they started their attempts to control the new parliament through issuing the tailored election law, then with this ministerial amendment which placed the brotherhood members in the key ministries, such as the Ministry of Local Development and Finance, electricity, supply, transport and communications.\"
He explained that removing Ahmad Jamal al-Din from his position as the Interior Minister comes after the way he handled events where \"the Brotherhood wanted him to abuse the revolutionaries.\"
Meanwhile, a member of the National Salvation Front, Mohammed al-Orabi has said that the new cabinet reshuffle is a kind of political confusion, adding that \"the reshuffle confirmed that they do not have any real project on the ground.\"
Salafist Front\'s Younis Mkhion told Arabstoday that the next parliament will form the new government, and the current government is temporarily running the country until parliamentary elections in two months. He said that the group appreciates the role of the current Prime Minister Hisham Kandil.
Mkhion denied that the Freedom and Justice party discussed the amendments with al-Nour Party or the Salafist Front. He also confirmed that the Front will compete strongly for seats in parliament, and participate in the formation of the new government.