Hazem Beblawi. Photograph by ElGasser
Egypt’s interim Prime Minister Hazem Beblawi has announced the resignation of his government.
The announcement was unexpected, but came amid a number of issues facing the country including public sector strikes and a shortage of cooking gas.
Beblawi did not give a reason for the resignation, but did say that it was a “difficult” time for the country, and that they face “huge dangers”, emphasising that it is time for the people to “stand together”. He also noted that his government had completed the first step on the interim roadmap by holding a referendum on the constitution in January.
Beblawi was appointed after a military coup with popular support ousted President Mohammad Morsi after weeks of protests.
Since Morsi was ousted, security forces have cracked down on the Muslim Brotherhood to which he belong. More than 1,000 people have been killed in the clashes between Brotherhood members and security forces, and thousands more are believed to have been detained.
Attacks on government officials and military personnel have also increased in the Sinai peninsula, killing hundreds, and adding to the continued sense of chaos in the country, which has seen a series of crises since the overthrow of dictator Hosni Mubarak.