Egypt’s new cabinet to be announced and sworn in

Egypt’s Islamist president, Mohammed Morsi, is to swear in a new cabinet today that is set to include at least three Islamist politicians and some holdovers from the outgoing military backed team in key positions.

A little over a week ago, Mohammed Morsi appointed little known Hesham Kandil as his prime minister. Kandil served as water minister in the outgoing, military backed government. 

This is the first permanent government since the removal of Hosni Mubarak last year from office, allowing the once-banned Muslim Brotherhood to have a powerful influence on Egypt.

According to an incomplete list of new cabinet members released on Wednesday, Kandil appointed more than 20 ministers in the new cabinet with only three members from the Brotherhood, who were given posts in the higher education and housing ministries. Mostafa Mussad, a member of Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party, was appointed education minister while Tarek Wafik and Osama Yassin, other Brotherhood members, were appointed housing minister and youth minister respectively.

Finance Minister Mumtaz al-Saeed and Foreign Minister Mohammed Kamel  Amr both kept their positions in the cabinet despite the change in government.

Ahmed Gamal el-Din, a career policeman, was announced the new interior minister.

No change was mentioned in the Defence Ministry, so it has been assumed that Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the head of military council and cabinet and military source, will continue to remain in his position.

Rajeeb Gurung