Egypt cabinet resigns, remains in caretaker role

Egypt’s cabinet has resigned but will stay on in a caretaker role until a new government is formed, a statement from the office of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on Saturday, without giving a reason for the move.

But moments after, Al-Sisi asked the oil minister, Sherif Ismail, to form a new government.

Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb submitted the cabinet’s resignation earlier on Saturday. Sisi asked the government to carry on in a caretaker role until a new administration is formed in the most populous Arab country.

The announcement comes almost one week after the authorities arrested Egypt’s agriculture minister over corruption allegations.

Egypt is fighting an Islamic insurgency and is struggling to rebuild its economy since a popular uprising toppled autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

Mehleb was appointed prime minister last year after serving as minister of housing. He had been chairman of Arab Contractors, one of the region’s largest construction companies.

Egypt is due to hold long-delayed parliamentary elections next month.