Mahlab’s Government to Officially Step Down Next Week

Egypt’s prime minister, Ibrahim Mahlab, announced Sunday that he will officially resign once the president-elect swears the constitutional oath, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported.

Mahlab added he would make slight changes in the current government in case Egypt’s newly elected president asks him to form a new government.

He underlined that his government, that was appointed 90 days ago, has worked on all issues that concern Egyptians and will continue to work until the last day in office.

Mahlab said in a press conference held late Saturday that the presidential elections held last week were fair and that the Egyptian people chose a leader that will help the country move forward.

Meanwhile, the clear winner of the presidential election, Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, is expected to take the oath of office before the High Constitutional Court to become the ninth president of Egypt next weekend.

Semi-official reports show that the former military chief swept the presidential polls, held 26-28 May, achieving a landslide victory over his sole rival Hamdeen Sabahi.

Initial vote tallies show that El-Sisi secured a historic victory, winning around 95 percent of the vote, at around 23 million votes.

Sabahi won a little more than three percent of the vote. His vote tally was outpaced by invalidated ballot papers, which numbered around 1.5 million, or around four percent.

According to Abdel-Aziz Salman, spokesman for the Presidential Election Commission (PEC), which is overseeing the election, “The final official results will be announced by PEC’s chairman, Anwar El-Assi, on 3 or 4 June, rather than (as previously scheduled) on 5 June, which marks the anniversary of Egypt’s military setback on that day in 1967.”

Source: MENA & Ahram Online