After a week of deliberations the first government under newly-elected president Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi was sworn in on 17 June, led by Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb. The new government, the third since the ouster of former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi on 3 July, 2013, increased the number of cabinet ministers from 31 to 34. Twenty members of the outgoing cabinet retained their jobs, including Minister of Defence Sedki Sobhi and Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim. Together with newly-elected president Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, these two influential cabinet members comprise what t many political analysts consider the real centre of power in Egypt. Mehleb was commissioned to form a new government on 9 June, one day after ex-army chief Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi took the oath of office as Egypt's new president. Under article 146 of the new constitution the government must resign after the results of the presidential elections are officially announced. Mehleb, who led the swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, told reporters he is not leading a caretaker government. “The government will not act as if it is in power only until new parliamentary elections are held and new government is formed. It will make decisions for the long-term, and will be working day and night to secure a brighter future.” Mehleb said he agreed with Al-Sisi his government's priorities must include restoring stability and security, fighting terrorism, and improving public services. He dismissed rumours the controversial House of Representatives Law, ratified by outgoing president Adli Mansour on 5 June, would be amended. Instead, he said the legislative reform committee formed by Al-Sisi last week would take charge of revising legislation to ensure it conforms with the new constitution. The prime minister also promised the cabinet would also work towards promoting a religious discourse that disseminates the ideals of tolerance and moderation as espoused by Islam and Christianity. The new government contained few surprises. The most dramatic move was the phasing out of the ministry of information, to be replaced by a National Press Council, which will oversee the regulation of audio-visual and print media as was envisaged by article 211 of the new constitution. Nabil Fahmi's replacement as foreign minister by Sameh Shoukri, Egypt's ambassador to the United States from 2008 to 2012, left many commentators perplexed. Al-Ahram political analyst Hassan Abu Taleb believes Fahmi did a good job improving relations with Washington and the African Union in the aftermath of Mohamed Morsi's ouster. His removal, speculates Abu Taleb, was probably a result of comments made during a visit to Washington last March that the relationship between Egypt and the US was rather like a marriage, a comparison that played badly with both officials and the public. That both Shoukri and Fahmi served as ambassadors to the US is telling, says Abu Taleb. “It signals the importance the post-Morsi leadership in Egypt gives to relations with the US.” It is also noteworthy that Shoukri was Hosni Mubarak's information secretary from 1995 to 1999. Laila Iskandar, who served in the outgoing cabinet as minister of environment, will occupy the new cabinet post of minister of urban development. According to Mehleb the new ministry will be responsible for improving conditions in slum areas and squatter communities on the fringes of major cities. Gaber Asfour takes over the culture portfolio from Saber Azzab. Asfour was appointed minister of culture on 31 January 2011 bit resigned eight days later, on the grounds that the 2011 cabinet, led by Mubarak's last prime minister Ahmed Shafik, lacked consensus backing. “The new government enjoys overwhelming support and reflects a kind of national unity, which is why I agreed to join it,” says Asfour. The immediate priorities of the Culture Ministry, says the new minister, will be to help change religious discourse and open up to the outside world by “widening the scope of translations”. Asfour has long been a champion of the National Translation Project which spearheads the translation of classic and modern literature. Hossameddin Al-Moghazli replaces Mohamed Abdel-Moteleb as minister of irrigation and water resources. Al-Moghazi will be responsible for negotiations with Ethiopia over the controversial Renaissance Dam which could negatively affect Egypt's annual quota of Nile water. Al-Sisi is expected to meet Ethiopia's prime minister soon in an attempt to defuse the ongoing crisis. The new cabinet, like its predecessor, contains four women. The number of Christian ministers has increased from two to three. Ghada Wali is minister of social solidarity; Laila Iskandar is now minister of urban development; Nahed Ashri serves as minister of labour and immigration and Naglaa Al-Ahwani is minister of international cooperation. The three Christian ministers are Mounir Abdel-Nour at industry; Laila Iskandar at urban development and Hani Kadri Demian at finance. The new cabinet separates the international cooperation and planning portfolios. Ashraf Al-Arabi, who was a minister of both in the outgoing cabinet, retains the planning portfolio, while Naglaa Al-Ahwani, a liberal economist, takes over at international cooperation. Al-Ahwani and Al-Arabi will take charge of any future negotiations with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Mehleb also separated the investment and industry portfolios. Abdel-Nour, in charge of both in the outgoing cabinet, remains as minister of industry, trade and small and medium-scale enterprises. Ashraf Salman, a liberal economist and an experienced financier, is the new minister of investment. The ministries of higher education and scientific research have also been divorced. Sayed Abdel-Khalek, a former head of Mansoura University, becomes the new minister of higher education, and Sherif Hamad, dean of Ain Shams University Faculty of Engineering, is the new minister of scientific research. The other new faces around the cabinet table are Hani Dahi as minister of transport; Khaled Fahmi as minister of environment; Mahfouz Saber as minister of justice; Adel Al-Beltagy as minister of agriculture; Mahmoud Al-Damati as minister of antiquities and Ibrahim Al-Heneidi as minister of transitional justice and House of Representatives Affairs. Al-Heneidi was previously head of Egypt's Illicit Gains Authority. Cabinet ministers who remain in their posts include Minister of Tourism Hisham Zaazou; Minister of Communications Atef Helmi; Minister of Petroleum Sherif Ismail; and Minister of Religious Endowments Mokhtar Gomaa. Whilst in office Gomaa has spearheaded moves to reduce Muslim Brotherhood influence and restrict non-certified Islamist preachers from delivering Friday sermons. Minister of education Mahmoud Abul-Nasr; Minister of sports and Youth Khaled Abdel-Aziz; Minister of Military Production Ibrahim Younis; Minister of Health Adel Al-Adawi; Minister of Housing Mustafa Madbouli; Minister of Supply Khaled Hanafi; Minister of Aviation Mohamed Hossam Kamal and Ministry of Electricity Mohamed Shaker all retained their jobs. Speculation that Minister of Defence Sedki Sobhi and Minister of Local Development Adel Labib would become deputy prime ministers proved ill founded. While Labib retains his post as minister of local and administrative development, no appointments of prime ministerial deputies have been made.
