Change of Government a Few Months B
Change of Government a Few Months Before New Parliament
On 12 September 2015, a statement from the President’s Office announced that the President accepted the resignation of the Government of Ibrahim Mehleb, who has served as Egypt’s Prime Minister since February 2014. Mehleb was first asked to form a government by Interim President Adly Mansour in February 2014, before being asked by President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to form another government in June 2014. President al-Sisi has tasked Sherif Ismail, who has served as Minister of Petroleum since July 2013, to form the new cabinet. The decision to accept the Government’s resignation has surprised many observers, especially given that the long-awaited parliamentary elections are due to be completed by the beginning of December 2015.
While there has been much speculation about the reasons behind the resignation of Mehleb’s Government, Egypt Legal Update will focus on a review and analysis of the constitutional process that determines how the coming Government will function in light of the upcoming parliamentary elections.
According to Articles 146 and 147 of the 2014 Constitution, the Prime Minister will have to present his government and its program to the House of Representatives at its first session. If the majority of the House of Representatives fail to give the Prime Minister a vote of confidence within 30 days, the government will be deemed dissolved. In that case, the President must appoint another Prime Minister, on the condition that he/she is nominated by the majority party or coalition. The new Prime Minister must then present his cabinet and program to the House of Representatives again. If the majority of the House fails once more to give a confidence vote, the House shall be deemed dissolved, and the President will call for the election of a new House of Representatives again within sixty days.
On 12 September 2015, a statement from the President’s Office announced that the President accepted the resignation of the Government of Ibrahim Mehleb, who has served as Egypt’s Prime Minister since February 2014. Mehleb was first asked to form a government by Interim President Adly Mansour in February 2014, before being asked by President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to form another government in June 2014. President al-Sisi has tasked Sherif Ismail, who has served as Minister of Petroleum since July 2013, to form the new cabinet. The decision to accept the Government’s resignation has surprised many observers, especially given that the long-awaited parliamentary elections are due to be completed by the beginning of December 2015.
While there has been much speculation about the reasons behind the resignation of Mehleb’s Government, Egypt Legal Update will focus on a review and analysis of the constitutional process that determines how the coming Government will function in light of the upcoming parliamentary elections.
According to Articles 146 and 147 of the 2014 Constitution, the Prime Minister will have to present his government and its program to the House of Representatives at its first session. If the majority of the House of Representatives fail to give the Prime Minister a vote of confidence within 30 days, the government will be deemed dissolved. In that case, the President must appoint another Prime Minister, on the condition that he/she is nominated by the majority party or coalition. The new Prime Minister must then present his cabinet and program to the House of Representatives again. If the majority of the House fails once more to give a confidence vote, the House shall be deemed dissolved, and the President will call for the election of a new House of Representatives again within sixty days.