The governor of Wadi El-Gadid, Mahmoud Khalifa, resigned from his position on Thursday after publicly supporting Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi’s presidential campaign.

Khalifa filed a recommendation form supporting El-Sisi’s presidential candidacy, defying governmental instructions to officials to remain neutral in the presidential elections set for May.

Accepting the resignation, Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab was quoted by Al-Ahram Arabic website as saying: "The government should insist on its commitment to complete neutrality and on proving this neutrality to the whole world, in order to have fair and free elections."

Khalifa told Al-Ahram that he had not met with candidates or organised rallies for any candidate in his position as governor.

"Filing a recommendation form does not mean that I am endorsing a certain candidate as a governor. I came as an Egyptian citizen who is practicing his constitutional right," the former governor told Al-Ahram.

Egyptian laws do not forbid public officials from expressing their political views.

Khalifa, a former major-general in the Egyptian armed forces, was appointed governor of Wadi El-Gadid on 17 June last year.