Muslim Brotherhood still waiting for Egypt's ruling military council to reshuffle cabinet



CAIRO // Politicians in Egypt offered conflicting views yesterday about whether the ruling military will reshuffle the cabinet before this month's presidential elections.

The Freedom and Justice Party, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, has been pressing the military council to sack the prime minister Kamal Al Ganzuri's government and task it with forming a new cabinet.

On Sunday, the Brotherhood said the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces chief, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, had promised the parliament speaker, Saad Al Katatni, that he would carry out an imminent reshuffle.

And the Islamist-dominated parliament decided to suspend its sessions until Sunday in protest against the military's refusal to sack the government.

But yesterday, the high-ranking Brotherhood official Essam Al Eriane said: "There is nothing new. We are still waiting. The ball is in their court."

"The parliament sessions are still suspended and will resume on Sunday. If there is something new by then, we will adopt a new position."

Mr Al Eriane said Mr Al Katatni had received a call from a member of Egypt's ruling military council, saying the reshuffle was expected. He did not identify the caller, but clarified that it was not Field Marshal Tantawi.

Al Gomhuria, a state-run newspaper, said a reshuffle would occur, but only in few ministries, including the foreign affairs portfolio.

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