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Biblawi’s resignation leaves more questions for Egypt

Hazem el-Biblawi's resignation highlights the difficult realities of governing and the uncertainties facing Egypt, and paves the way for Abdel Fattah al-Sisi’s candidacy.
Egypt's Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim (L) and Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi walk during the funeral service of General Mohamed Saeed, head of the technical office of the minister of interior, with police and Saeed's relatives in Cairo January 28, 2014. Gunmen on a motorbike killed Saeed outside his home in Cairo on Tuesday, putting pressure on the military-backed government as it struggles to contain an Islamist insurgency.  REUTERS/ Mohamed Abd El Ghany (EGYPT  - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTX17Y

Hazem el-Biblawi’s sudden resignation as Egypt’s prime minister didn’t only take Egypt by surprise, but apparently even some of his ministers as well, according to some reports floating around. Minister of Higher Education Hossam Eissa, for example, told Foreign Policy that he “knew about it when [Biblawi] started speaking.” In another interview, he swore he had no idea why the resignation took place.

In his brief resignation statement, Biblawi provided no rationale for the move. Instead, he spoke of how he saw that, despite the setbacks and problems plaguing the country, his government had succeeded in steering the country overall across a difficult post-Morsi phase, restored basic security and helped bring forth a new constitution. He called on people to rally around the state, focus on national interests, then ended with it with a John F. Kennedy-style, “Before anyone asks, ‘What did Egypt do for me?’ — I would say: 'What did what did I do for Egypt?'”

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