First deputy speaker of Egypt's parliament Al-Sayed Al-Sherif, head of an ad hoc committee in charge of preparing a report on the policy statement delivered by newly appointed Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouli before parliament on 3 July, recommended Wednesday that the government receive a vote of confidence next week. Al-Sherif said the committee has finalised its report on the government's policy statement, and that it will be submitted to parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Aal Thursday. "This is the final step before it is discussed in parliament's plenary sessions next Sunday," said Al-Sherif, adding that, "The discussion will be followed by MPs deciding whether they give a vote of confidence in Madbouli's government." Salah Abu Himila, a member of the committee and representative of the People's Republican Party, told reporters that 27 MPs – out of a total 31 – recommended that the government receive a vote of confidence next week. "But the committee's recommendation did not go down well with four MPs - Diaaeddin Dawoud (an independent MP with leftist leanings), Ihab Mansour (representative of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party), Mohamed Badrawi (representative of the National Movement Party), and Al-Sayed Abdel-Aal (MP and leader of the leftist Tagammu Party). El-Sherif said the majority of members of the ad hoc committee said the government's policy statement included five programmes that could lead to tangible improvement in economic and living conditions in Egypt. "We asked that the government presents parliament with a quarterly periodical progress report on its implementation of the five programmes," said Al-Sherif. Madbouli was sworn in as prime minister 14 June. Madbouli told parliament 3 July that his government aims to strengthen national security, implement social protection programmes, boost economic development, raise productivity rates and improve the standard of living of poorer citizens. Bahaa Abu Shoqa, head of the opposition Wafd Party, said parliament's approval of the policy statement will not be "a blank sheet." "The constitution gives us every power to summon the government and cabinet ministers, question them and even withdraw confidence at any time," said Abu Shoqa, indicating that, "The government will be committed to preparing quarterly reports on its policies to be reviewed and discussed by parliament."
