Reports have circulated in the Egyptian media of a possible cabinet reshuffle as President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi publicly criticised on Monday a number of ministers, including Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab.
El-Sisi, who completes one year in office on Tuesday, told Mahlab “You promised me you’ll be a bulldozer to pave the road. Where is this bulldozer?”
The president, who was the military chief before resigning to run for office, also criticised the cabinet’s delay in digging up wells to cultivate lands, state news agency MENA reported.
“Why can’t we build four thousand wells for the development and cultivation of four million acres?” he told his ministers while inaugurating development projects being overseen by the army around the country.
He also addressed petroleum minister Sherif Ismail and criticised him for his shortcomings in providing the digging equipment for the wells.
“Engineer Sherif, you said that you will supply the necessary equipment and finish the work within two years, but this is yet to happen,” El-Sisi added.
The president said that he interferes in the details of all projects for the “wellbeing of Egypt, and its sons who trusted him.”
In March 2014, former interim president Adly Mansour appointed Mahlab as prime minister after serving briefly as minister of housing.
In March 2015, El-Sisi made a limited cabinet reshuffle.
The major changes were replacing interior minister Mohamed Ibrahim, who was widely criticised by political activists, as well as the creation of two new portfolios: a ministry of state for population and another for technical education.
source: Ahram online
