News Analysis: Egypt's new cabinet attends more to people's livelihood

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi swore in a new government on Saturday that included 16 new ministers, a move some experts think will mitigate the citizens' daily burdens though others described it as a caretaker government with limited changes.

"The changes happened only in the service ministries to absorb the anger of the citizens and to show some improvements in the ministries which tackle their daily life problems," Norhan al-Seikh, a professor of political studies at Cairo University, said.

The new ministries included transportation, health, housing, education and agriculture, while sovereignty portfolios like interior, defense, justice as well as the ministries of the economic group have their offices remained.

The economic group like finance and investment are working on long term plans, and any change will cause "perplexity" because any new minister would take at least three months to study his files, make plan and start the real work, al-Seikh told Xinhua.

Also what happened in Iraq and Lebanon lately has overshadowed the life in Egypt and raised fears that some similar protests would erupt to complain the garbage, the environment and health problems, she explained.

"The change was a proactive step to absorb the prospected anger of the people," added al-Seikh.

Former Premier Ibrahim Mahlab's government resigned on Sept. 12, following the arrest of Agriculture Minister Salah Helal involving in a corruption scandal.

There had been growing calls for Mahlab's resignation under growing criticism for delays in economic projects and increasing protests by civil servants over a new law that fixed the bonuses.

The change was meant to "pump new blood" into the government, Yousry al-Azbawi, a political expert with Ahram Center for Political Studies, told Xinhua.

Sikinah Fouad, a political expert and columnist with state-run Ahram newspaper, said the new government has brought few new faces, lamenting "I don't see new blood in the government."

He added that it isn't a new government, but only a ministerial reshuffle with limited changes.

The new government is only "recreation of old ones," as the prime minister was member of the cabinet, and also there are old ministers who were working under toppled President Hosni Mubarak.

"It is a limited caretaker government that will leave when the parliament run after three months," Fouad said.

The new government was appointed as Egypt prepares to hold long-delayed legislative elections in October. The new chamber can reject al-Sisi's choice for prime minister, according to the country's constitution.

The election concludes in November and a new government is likely to be named after the results are announced.

However, Wahid Abdel Maguid, a political expert with Ahram Center for Strategic and Political Studies, said the new cabinet will likely remain because the current parties may not bring strong parliament.

He added the new parliament opinion on changing the cabinet will be protocol and based on the president's recommendation.

For Medhat Nafea, an economic expert, the recurrent governments that came after 2011 uprising have been working in tough conditions, as were threatened to leave all the time.

But for the new appointed government, Nafea said it will remain because the new parliament wouldn't likely create strong harmonic coalitions.

Nafea said the new cabinet should work on controlling the prices and generating foreign currencies, as well as chronic issues like corruption, terrorism and unemployment.

"Even if the new government would work for only three months, the citizens could easily touch improvement in their daily routine gradually in education, health, and housing if had been vision and good plan," the economic expert told Xinhua.

Al-Azbawi praised the addition of 16 ministers is a very good step as the choice came in a very limited time, just one week.

He added creating a new ministry for the expatriates, whose number is nearly seven million "is significant move to control the remittance transfers which constitute the third source for foreign revenues, in a country suffers lake of cash reserve."

Also the new Migration and Egyptian Expatriates Affairs ministry will build a bridge with our scientists abroad and demolish the fears and worries of businessmen for investing in Egypt. Endit