Egypt’s parliament ‎approved in a plenary session Tuesday the appointment of former army ‎general Mohamed Ali El-Sheikh as the new ‎minister of supply.

El-Sheikh will replace former ‎minister of supply Khaled Hanafy, who decided resign ‎from office two weeks ago after a fact-finding ‎parliamentary committee accused him of corruption and ‎graft.‎

Parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Al told MPs Tuesday ‎that the appointment of El-Sheikh comes in line with ‎Article 147 of the constitution, which states that the ‎president of the republic can implement a cabinet reshuffle ‎after consultation with the prime minister and the ‎approval of the majority of MPs in a plenary session.‎

Speaker Abdel-Al told MPs that El-Sheikh, 64, has a long record of ‎experience in the sector of commodity supplies and ‎public services, and was head of the ‎Egyptian army's Supply Authority.

"He was also the ‎head of the army's general services apparatus," said ‎Abdel-Al, adding that "these leading positions ‎helped El-Sheikh get rich experience in the areas of ‎crisis management and service provision."‎

‎"As you all know, the Ministry of Supply is in pressing need for a leading and forceful ‎figure who can manage crises and ensure that all kinds ‎of services and basic commodities offered to ordinary ‎citizens are available on the market," said Abdel-Al.‎

Some MPs demanded that the new minister of supply be interviewed in a hearing session before he is approved. However, the demand was rejected by Abdel-Al, who argued that Article 147 does not mandate such a procedure.

"The ‎constitution states that Egypt is a mixed parliamentary-‎presidential system and that parliament can only ‎withdraw confidence from the government.‎"