Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri denied Friday that he threatened to dissolve Parliament through the Supreme Constitutional Court during a meeting with People’s Assembly Speaker Saad al-Katatny. Katatny told Al Jazeera news channel a month and a half ago that Ganzouri made the threat during the meeting, which was also attended by military council deputy head Sami Anan.
“What has been circulated regarding that meeting is totally illogical,” Ganzouri said during a meeting with the Egyptian Trade Union Federation’s administrative council, the manpower minister, the finance minister and independent MP Mostafa Bakry at the headquarters of the General Authority for Investment.
Bakry quoted Ganzouri as saying "I rise above such talk because it did not happen at all." Bakry added that Ganzouri claimed Anan could confirm his version of events. Katatny, Anan and Ganzouri had met to discuss the standoff between Parliament and the cabinet.
According to Bakry, Ganzouri said "What happened between us in this tripartite meeting was just a reproach from one official to another — I told him that reconciliation between the government and Parliament was in the best interest of the nation to overcome the crisis the country was experiencing."
In response to the Freedom and Justice Party-led Parliament’s calls for the cabinet’s resignation, Ganzouri said, "The cabinet will not resign, and the arbitrator between both of us is the Constitutional Declaration, which does not give Parliament the authority to withdraw confidence from the cabinet."
He added that he does not know why Parliament is demanding the cabinet’s resignation as the government is exerting great effort to pull the country out of the current crisis. He pointed to the cabinet’s success in reducing government spending by LE25 billion in the past five months and reducing the monthly decline in cash reserves.
Ganzouri said that beginning next month, an increase in cash reserves will take place for the first time. He added that revenues have recently increased by LE42 million.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
