Egypt’s ruling
military leader vowed Sunday he would reshuffle the nation’s unpopular
Cabinet, according to state media, in a move seen as an attempt to calm
growing anger in the Islamist-controlled Parliament ahead of next
month’s presidential elections.
The decision by Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi came hours after
Parliament, nearly half of which is controlled by the Muslim
Brotherhood, threatened to suspend legislative sessions for a week to
protest Prime Minister Kamal Ganzouri’s government.
Parliament has
been critical of the military-backed regime for months, but the generals
have indicated they would not tolerate a no-confidence vote.
Egyptian media, quoting members of Parliament, reported the Cabinet
would undergo a limited restructuring in coming days to include
officials from the country’s dominant political forces.
The Ganzouri
government is widely mistrusted and viewed as a throwback to deposed
President Hosni Mubarak’s rule.
Speaker of Parliament Saad Katatni said Tantawi phoned him to say that
changes would be made to the government. Katatni characterized the call
as restoring Parliament’s “dignity.” Tantawi made no immediate comment.
The conflict over the Cabinet is unfolding as the military and the
Muslim Brotherhood are seeking to protect and expand their powers before
the May 23-24 presidential vote.
The two sides had
cooperated for months but relations have soured as Parliament has been
viewed as a shadow entity against the more powerful army. Tantawi’s
promise appears to give the legislature -- and the Brotherhood -- a
degree of the legitimacy they crave.
The military’s choice of Ganzouri, a prime minister under Mubarak, was
opposed by activists and protesters in November. The Brotherhood also
criticized the selection but, at the time, was concentrating its efforts
on campaigning for parliamentary elections.
After winning the
legislature, Islamists stepped up their attacks on the government,
which they blamed for being a tool of the military and stifling
Parliament.
“Ganzouri should act politically and listen to the parliament and not
act with stubbornness and arrogance,” said Sobhi Saleh, a member of
parliament with the Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party. “If I was
in his place, I'd have at least changed five or six ministers to absorb
the Parliament's anger."
Another legislator, Mohamed Anwar Sadat, said: “Life between the Cabinet
and the Parliament is impossible this way.”
