Confusion prevails at the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Transportation in the wake of a recent ministerial reshuffle. When Al-Masry Al-Youm went to print, the new ministers had not met with any of the officials at either ministry. New transport minister Alaa Fahmi arrived at the headquarters of the Ministry of Transport in Nasr City at 5 PM on Monday. He spent only 15 minutes receiving felicitations from a few number of officials. Afterward he went to have a look at his new office on the second floor. The minister returned to the headquarters yesterday at noon, however he did not summon any officials there to meet him. He spent more than 90 minutes inside his office making phone calls. Some believe that the minister was preparing a new taskforce which will work with him for the next period. An official source at Maadi Club denied having information about Fahmi's resignation as club president after he was entrusted with the transport portfolio. The source said that the club's bylaws do not include any articles about combining a political post along with the club presidency, and that the issue is up to Fahmi. At the Ministry of Education, sources revealed that minister Ahmed Zaki Badr arrived at 9 AM on Monday. The minister spent a few minutes during which he asked for some important files, such as the new secondary education project and the ministry's strategic plans. Sources noted that Badr, as of the time Al-Masry Al-Youm went to print, had not returned to the headquarters. He is however expected to convene a meeting with senior ministry officials. Meanwhile cabinet minister Ahmed Nazif received the outgoing education minister Yousry el-Gamal in a 15-minute meeting during which he praised the minister's performance. El-Gamal seemed very impressed upon entering Nazif's office. Nazif began his new ritual for receiving replaced ministers with the former irrigation minister, Mahmoud Abu Zeid. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
