Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb said the government will submit its resignation to the coming president as part of standard procedure, adding that the president has the right to select his government.
During an interview aired on the privately-owned CBC TV channel on Saturday, Mehleb said, “My hope is that the number of voters in [the upcoming] presidential elections equals the number of participants in the 30 June revolution.”
“I did not find evidence to support accusations of bias against some ministers,” he said, stressing that he will dismiss any minister or governor who appears to be biased during the presidential elections.
Mehleb referred to alleged instructions given to governors to be biased, adding that the High Elections Commission is investigating complaints against some governors. He added that there will be no vacations during voting, saying it sends a "negative message."
Mehleb said that the Cabinet is working on legislative reforms enabling ministers to select laws requiring amendment. He added that restructuring subsidies is not the only solution to resolving the state budget deficit.
Regarding the economic situation, Mehleb said the government is working on tax reform to reduce the budget deficit.
He indicated that poverty rates have reached 12 percent, while extreme poverty has reached 4.5 percent.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
