Cairo: The Supreme Council of the Armed
Forces (SCAF) in Egypt has rejected the resignation of finance minister, Hazem el-Beblawi, who had tendered his resignation
protesting the manner in which government tackled the clashes
on Sunday.
"Although the government is not directly responsible, in
the end, the responsibility falls on its shoulders,"
el-Beblawi was quoted by official MENA as saying.
"The current circumstances are very difficult and require
a new and different way of thinking and working," he said.
Hazem al-Beblawi, also the deputy prime minister of the
country, announced his resignation yesterday, saying that
despite having no direct involvement in the clashes, the
government ultimately bore responsibility for what happened.
The official news agency also denied news Prime Minister
Essam Sharaf had submitted his resignation to the SCAF.
Meanwhile, SCAF has said it would hold a press conference
today to comment on the recent events of violence Cairo
witnessed.
On Sunday, 25 people were killed and more than 300
injured when a protest demonstration by Coptic Christians was
attacked by the army and thugs, sparking furious condemnation
of the leadership's handling of the transition from Hosni
Mubarak's rule.
State television had said the violence started when its
officers were attacked by angry Christian protestors and three
were killed. But no photos or names were announced.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, October 12, 2011, 10:31