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Egypt's cabinet unexpectedly resigned Saturday less than a week after the agriculture minister was arrested over corruption.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi asked Oil Minister Sherif Ismail to form a new government within one week, the presidency’s office said Saturday following the resignation of Ibrahim Mehleb’s government.
The reason behind the resignation was not immediately clear, however, officials told Reuters news agency that for a while el-Sissi has not been happy with the performance of some of the ministers.
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#Egypt cabinet resignation. Sisi getting down to business, consolidating power.
— Steven A. Cook (@stevenacook)
September 12, 201
The country is battling an insurgency by an Islamic State group affiliate in the country's eastern region of Sinai while trying to fix its economy that has been crippled by years of turmoil and political uncertainty following the ouster of Egypt's long-serving, U.S.-backed dictator Hosni Mubarak.
Ismail is seen likely to be appointed the country's next prime minister and is considered to be one of the best performing ministers.
The country will hold its long overdue parliamentary elections next month, the final step in a process the government has said would deliver democracy.
Appointing the oil minister to be the new PM indicates economy is now top priority for Sisi's Egypt.
— Nervana Mahmoud (@Nervana_1)
September 12, 201
RELATED: Egypt: Four Years after the Political Crisis
The former government faced a backlash over several controversial laws which were ratified by the president. One law said that journalists could face prison terms for reporting death toll figures other than government-sanctioned ones.
Such laws triggered peaceful protests despite the ban on demonstrations following the election of el-Sissi as president. He won more than 90 percent of the vote and was the only candidate.
When he served as an army chief, el-Sissi staged a coup against the first democratically-elected President Mohamed Morsi, who is now facing a death sentence over charges.
Human rights groups accuse el-Sissi of abusing his power, silencing opposition and clamping down on media.
