Egyptian parliament to discuss govt’s policy statement amid reports of cabinet reshuffle

Gamal Essam El-Din , Sunday 17 Nov 2019

The discussions will lead to a vote by MPs on their confidence in the government

 Mostafa Madbouly
Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly gestures during a news conference in Cairo, Egypt July 17, 2019. REUTERS

The Egyptian parliament's budget and planning committee will begin on Sunday evening discussing the government policy statement delivered by Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly to the parliament on 8 October.

Committee head Hussein Eissa said the meeting will discuss the figures related to the country's financial and economic performance from August 2018 to October 2019.

After Madbouly delivered the statement, speaker Ali Abdel-Aal decided to form an ad hoc committee to discuss it. The committee's first meeting was held on 6 November.

El-Sayed Mahmoud El-Sherif, deputy speaker and head of the ad hoc committee, said the government's statement will be also discussed by parliament's 25 standing committees.

"These committees should send their remarks and recommendations to the ad hoc committee by 20 November," said El-Sherif, adding that "at the end of the debate, a report will be prepared by the committee, recommending whether to give the government a vote of confidence," said El-Sherif.

The government previously received a vote of confidence from parliament in July 2018.

The head of the budget and planning committee, Hussein Eissa, said the government has done a great job over the past 15 months in financial and economic terms.

"But MPs have strong reservations about the performance of some cabinet ministers and the role of the government in protecting those on limited incomes from the impact of the IMF-inspired economic reform programme," he said

There are reports that a cabinet reshuffle is imminent; MP Mostafa Bakri told reporters on Sunday that a reshuffle will be announced following President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi's return from his current visit to Germany.

"Informed sources told me that this reshuffle is imminent and that while Prime Minister Madbouly will retain his post, a number of service sector ministers are expected to leave the government," said Bakri, adding that "the new make-up of the government will be sent to parliament to be put up for a vote, in line with the constitution.

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