Former Prime Minister Kamal El-Ganzouri and President Mohamed Morsi (Photo: Reuters)
Amid a wave of criticism, Presidential spokesman Yasser Ali defended the president's choice of appointing former PM Kamal El-Ganzouri as his advisor.
President Morsi appointed El-Ganzouri Thursday, a decision received with much scepticism by many, given the Muslim Brotherhood's earlier conflict with El-Ganzouri.
In March, the Freedom and Justice Party (then headed by Morsi), dominating more than 40 per cent of the now-dissolved People's Assembly, severely criticised El-Ganzouri's government, claiming it to be "incompetent" while threatening to withdraw confidence from it.
"Criticising El-Ganzouri doesn't mean disregarding his patriotic and economic significance," said Ali, saying that the president is looking forward to benefitting from El-Ganzouri's experience.
Ali added that disapproving a Cabinet doesn't mean disapproving individuals, giving the example of Hisham Qandil, now Egypt's prime minister, who was minister of irrigation in El-Ganzouri's government.
Kamal El-Ganzouri, who served as a premier during Mubarak's presidency, was appointed by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces in December 2011. His government has been functioning in a caretaker role since Morsi's inauguration on 30 June, until the appointment of Hisham Qandil 24 July.
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