CAIRO
The government of Egyptian interim Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawi on Monday submitted its collective resignation to interim President Adly Mansour.
"The government shouldn't only be judged based on results, but also on the decisions it made," al-Beblawi told a televised press conference.
He said his cabinet had assumed responsibility amid difficult circumstances.
Deputy Premier Hossam Eissa told Anadolu Agency that the government had submitted its resignation to Mansour on Sunday night, adding that the move would be announced at a Monday cabinet meeting.
Al-Beblawi was named interim prime minister on July 9 of last year – six days after the army ousted elected president Mohamed Morsi and installed Mansour as interim president.
According to government sources, Mansour accepted the government's resignation but asked it to stay on to run the country's affairs until a new government could be formed.
In a televised address, al-Beblawi said that the resignation had come after his government had managed to steer the country through the first phase of a transitional roadmap, crowned last month by the endorsement of Egypt's amended 2012 constitution in a public referendum.
Al-Beblawi called on Egyptians to put the country's interests first.
"This isn't the time for strikes, labor demands and personal interests," he said, referring to a wave of labor strikes that have recently paralyzed several sectors of the country.
Egypt," al-Beblawi added, "is in dire need of the efforts of all Egyptians."
Egypt interim govt resignation reflects 'failure of coup': Pro-democracy bloc
A major pro-democracy bloc in Egypt has described Monday's resignation of the interim government of Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawi as "a reflection of the failure of the military coup" against ousted president Mohamed Morsi.
"This is a failed government that came on the heels of the ouster of a legitimate government as part of the coup against Morsi," Imam Youssef, member of the Salafist Asala Party, a main component of the pro-Morsi National Alliance for the Defense of Legitimacy, told Anadolu Agency.
"Its departure is a good riddance," Youssef added. "This government came to improve the coup's image, but a handful of labor strikes doomed it to failure."
Al-Beblawi was named interim prime minister on July 9 of last year – six days after the army ousted Morsi, the country's first freely elected president, and installed Mansour as interim president.
In a televised address on Monday, al-Beblawi said that the resignation came after his government had managed to steer the country through the first phase of a transitional roadmap, crowned last month by the endorsement of Egypt's amended 2012 constitution in a public referendum.
Outgoing deputy premier Hossam Eissa told AA that the government had initially submitted its resignation to Mansour on Sunday night.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
