Egypt president accepts cabinet resignation

Egyptian Interim President Adly Mansour has accepted the resignation of outgoing Prime Minister Hazem Al-Beblawi and his cabinet on Monday. In a press statement, the Egyptian Presidency said that President Mansour has accepted the resignation of Al-Beblawi-led government and thanked outgoing premier on his decision to accept to assume the top post at this critical time. Mansour also expressed appreciation of the great efforts exerted by Al-Beblawi and his government in their seven-month stint. Earlier, Al-Beblawi announced that his cabinet has tendered resignation, citing strikes and protests as reasons for the step. Al-Beblawi said in a live TV broadcast that his military-backed cabinet, which was sworn in July 2013, had shouldered responsibility over the last months amid very difficult and critical conditions. The move comes amid a host of strikes, including one by public-transport workers and garbage collectors. He said that there was much information on the causes of the resignation, but he could not reveal anything immediately. Defending his government, Al-Beblawi said his cabinet ministers did their best to "take Egypt out of the narrow tunnel, whether in view of security, economic or political aspects". However, he maintained, Egypt has made much headway in the building of "a democratic society that respects human rights and seeks progress and development".