Egypt minister quits over ‘slip of tongue'

Cairo: Egyptian Justice Minister Mahfouz Saber has resigned after he triggered an outrage for saying that children of cleaning workers should not become judges.

Prime Minister Ebrahim Mehleb announced Saber’s resignation Monday night, saying it came “out of respect for public opinion”. The premier called Saber’s remarks a “slip of tongue” and said his government respects all classes of society.

Saber, who had been given the post in June last year, drew a chorus of criticism for his remarks, condemned as discriminatory and a violation of the Egyptian constitution.

“If the son of a cleaning worker becomes a judge, he will experience different crises including depression.Then he will not continue in the profession,” Saber said in an interview on Sunday with local private TV Ten.

“The judge should come from an appropriate class with all due respect to the cleaning worker and those who are lower. The judge is prestigious and has a status and should come from a respectable milieu financially and morally.”

The remarks infuriated many Egyptians, prompting massive calls for his sacking. Some rights advocates said they would Saber allegedly for racism and constitutional infringement.

Shortly after his resignation was made public, Saber insisted on his controversial opinion.

“My remarks reflect the reality in Egypt,” he told private TV station Al Mehwer late Monday. “I had accepted the ministerial portfolio for the sake of Egypt and resigned for the sake of Egypt. I submitted my resignation without any pressure to end this furore.”

Months ago, local media reported that more than 130 law graduates had been excluded from appointment in public prosecution because their parents did not hold a university degree.

Saber’s resignation drew praise even from his critics.

 “Whether he resigned of free will, or was forced to resign, the step was necessary to reassure Egyptians that his discriminatory remarks are not acceptable to the present ruling system,” prominent rights activist Hafez Abu Saeda said.

“The remarks violate Article 53 from the constitution that prohibits all forms of social, religious and ethnic discrimination.”

Saber’s remarks were seen as embarrassing to President Abdul Fattah Al Sissi, who portrays himself as an advocate of the disadvantaged classes in Egypt where more than 40 per cent of the country’s 87 million are believed to be living under the poverty line.

Al Sissi, who took office last year, has repeatedly promised to improve the living standards of the poor Egyptians. His critics, however, say that his policy maintains social injustices and authoritarianism, which were key reasons for the 2011 uprising that forced long-time president Husni Mubarak out of power.