Egypt's ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces announced on Thursday that it accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq, the head of the country's caretaker cabinet. The military's decision came a day before another million-man protest planned for Friday to continue demanding Shafiq's resignation. Former Transportation Minister Essam Sharaf has been charged with forming a new cabinet, said the military council's Facebook page. Sources close to Sharaf told Al-Masry Al-Youm that the he received the news on Thursday morning, then met with one of the military council members to discuss the decision and to agree on new appointments. The same sources said that Sharaf did not have a prior knowledge of the decision, but that he accepted the task out of concern for the public's interests. Earlier, the youth of the 25 January revolution called for a million-man protest to be staged in Cairo's Tahrir Square and other major venues in a bid to force Shafiq's cabinet to resign. The 25 January Youth and the 6 April Youth Movement opposition group say that Shafiq is a vestige of the ousted regime of former President Hosni Mubarak. The groups said that during a government meeting Shafiq made fun of the protesters, promising to "give them candy" if they evacuate the square. The groups voiced doubts about his ability to oversee the changes demanded throughout the revolution. The same groups added that Shafiq has never been known as a pro-reform or an anti-corruption figure. Sharaf was appointed transportation minister in 2004 under former Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif and Mubarak's government, but later resigned following a deadly train crash. Press reports said Sharaf had taken part in the anti-regime protests that led to Mubarak's resignation on 11 February.
