Egypt's Morsi to announce cabinet reshuffle: Aide

CAIRO - Agence France-Presse

Morsi announced on Twitter account that he would make "a ministerial change" and replace provincial governors. AFP photo

Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi is set to announce a cabinet reshuffle, a presidential aide said on April 20, but it is unlikely to meet opposition demands for a complete overhaul of the government.

Morsi wrote on his Twitter account that he would make "a ministerial change" and replace provincial governors, adding the posts would go to "those who are most qualified." A presidential palace official said Morsi's quote was taken from an interview that will be aired Saturday night on the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television channel.

A senior presidential aide said Morsi may announce the changes by the end of the week. "There will be six to eight ministers, and wide-ranging changes among (provincial) governors," he said.

"The ministries that will be affected include some important ones," he added. "I can't mention which ones because, as you know, this is a sensitive matter." Morsi has repeatedly declared his confidence in Prime Minister Hisham Qandil, whose sacking is demanded by a coalition of opposition groups as a condition for dropping a boycott of parliamentary elections, possibly in the autumn.

Egyptian newspapers have reported that Morsi may replace Justice Minister Ahmed Mekki and other less prominent ministers.

The opposition remains steadfast in its demand for a national unity government, in a protracted deadlock with Morsi that has delayed a much needed $4.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund.