Cairo: At least 17 of Egypt’s 27 provincial governors are to be replaced in the country’s first such shake-up since President Abdul Fatah Al Sissi took office about eight months ago, state media reported on Friday, a step aimed at boosting public services in these provinces.
The newcomers include four university professors, two judges, two army officers and several government officials.
New governors are being appointed for the cities of Alexandria, Giza, Luxor, Ismilia, Kafr Al Shaikh, Menufia, Behira, Dakhalia, Gharbia, Sharkia, Damietta, Assiut, Fayyoum, Beni Suef, Sohag,Matruh and Port Saeed, according to semi-official newspaper Al Akhbar.
Some of these provinces are among Egypt’s poorest.
Al Sissi is to swear in the new governors on Saturday before holding a meeting with them on guidelines for their performance.
Prime Minister Ebrahim Mehleb said the appointees are aged between 30 and 50 years and have been picked for “their ability to do field work”.
Several Egyptian provinces have in recent months suffered from problems including a shortage of butane gas cylinders and inefficient sanitary drainage services, sparking public anger.
Last month, Egyptian TV stations aired footage showing residents of Alexandria, the country’s second biggest city, using speedboats to leave their houses after a main wastewater treatment plant broke down, resulting in flooding some streets and houses.
The shake-up has been delayed several times due to what Al Sissi said was a difficulty in “finding” qualified governors.
The delay was also attributed to a string of deadly attacks that have recently targeted security troops and blamed on Islamist insurgents sympathising with deposed president Mohammad Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood.
