THE Egyptian Prime Minister, Mr Atef Sedki, resigned along with his entire cabinet yesterday after nine years in office. One of his deputies was called on to form a new government, officials said.
Mr Kamal al-Ganzuri, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Planning, told reporters that President Hosni Mubarak had asked him to lead a new cabinet.
Mr Ganzuri (62), a minister in Mr Sedki's government since it was formed in 1986, is considered one of the principal architects of the economic reform programme launched in Egypt in 1991.
The Information Minister, Mr Safuat al-Sherif, said that Mr Sedki would present a resignation letter to Mr Mubarak to "allow him to chose what he thinks is appropriate in this critical period for patriotic action in Egypt," the official MENA news agency said.
The resignation letter was approved by the government yesterday during a special cabinet meeting. Egyptian television also announced the government's resignation, without comment.
Mr Sherif said that the Prime Minister had presented "his thanks to the government that had worked with him for nine years, which were marked by three cabinet reshuffles".
The ministers were last changed in October 1993, and Mr Sedki (65), has been Prime Minister since 1986 - a record length of time in modern Egypt.
A political shake-up has been expected since Mr Mubarak's National Democratic Party won an overwhelming victory in November 29th and December 6th parliamentary elections amid opposition charges of widespread fraud in the balloting.
One the eve of the first round in the elections, Mr Mubarak said he would reshuffle the ministerial cabinet "when he saw the need."
Several of Mr Sedki's ministers have held their posts for years. Mr Amal Osman (66) has overseen Social Affairs since 1977, while Mr Suleiman Metualli (69) has been in the government since 1978 and Transport Minister since 1980.
In his resignation letter, Mr Sedki said he "made the maximum efforts since November 9th, 1986, to fulfil the country's most important objectives."
He said his government was "able to successfully implement the first phase of the economic reform program launched in 1991" and has "already begun work on the second phase, which aims to improve the lives of the citizens in achieving annual economic growth of 8 per cent."