Outside the Beltway

New PM in Egypt

Steven L. Taylor · Thursday, March 3, 2011 · 1 comment

Via the BBC:  Egypt’s Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq resigns

Egypt’s Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq has resigned, the country’s ruling military council has announced in a statement.

A former transport minister, Essam Sharaf, has been asked to form a new government, the statement adds.

[…]

"The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces decided to accept the resignation of Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq and appointed Essam Sharaf to form the new government," the army said in a statement on its Facebook page.

Mr Shafiq was appointed by Mr Mubarak just days before he stepped down on 11 February after several weeks of popular protests against his rule.

It had been one of the protesters’ key demands that Mr Shafiq and other top ministers appointed at the end of the Mubarak rule step down.

Mr Sharaf’s appointment is significant as he spoke out in support of the revolution and took part in the street protests, says the BBC’s Alastair Leithead in Cairo.

It is encouraging to see an opposition figure has been named to a key post, although it is noteworthy that he isn’t an outsider, insofar as he has previously served in a ministerial position during Mubarak’s time in power.