A day after the resignation of Mohamed Abdel Fatah, head of the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), the Cabinet scheduled an appointment with him on Sunday to discuss the issues behind his resignation.

In a telephone interview with Ahram Online, Abdel Fatah said that he would not return to the post without having full authority in the post. He pointed out that even when he allocated LE300 ($50) as a compensation to an archaeologist who had a leg amputated, the archaeologist was not able to receive the compensation as the SCA secretary general has no mandate to make such decisions.

Abdel Fatah resigned Tuesday following the intensification of protests and demonstrations in front of the SCA premises asking for council to be returned to being the Ministry of State for Antiquities, for salary raises, and the appointment of new graduate archaeologists.