Egypt’s interim Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri is still trying to form a new government to lead the country through the transitional period due to end next year.
WATANI International
5 December 2011
Egypt’s interim Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri is still trying to form a new government to lead the country through the transitional period due to end next year. Several of the figures he chose to serve in the new cabinet, however, drew fire from the public, mainly on grounds that they had served under the Mubarak regime.
The Media Minister Osama Heikal who had served in the previous cabinet of Essam Sharaf and who was initially chosen by Ganzouri to continue to act as media minister drew the most controversy. In his official capacity, Heikal is held responsible for the State TV coverage of the 9 October brutal attack by the military against peaceful Coptic demonstrators at Maspero, Cairo, which left 23 Copts and one Muslim dead and some 300 injured. State TV had then reported that the Copts were attacking the national army, and called upon the public to ‘defend’ the army against the Copts, thus turning public opinion against the peaceful demonstrators who were being brutally attacked. The flagrant instigation against the Copts led to strong demands by rights activists and Coptic movements that Heikal should be dismissed. Instead of being dismissed, they were stunned to find him again chosen last Thursday to head the Media Ministry in the new government.
According to Ramy Kamel of the Maspero Youth Union (MYU), a Coptic youth movement, allowing Heikal to stay on as Media Minister “is in fact bestowing honours on him for his role to the killing Egyptians in Maspero and Tahrir”.
Hany Ramses, also a member of the MYU, said that holding on to Heikal gives him political immunity and protection against potential legal questioning. Heikal, Ramses says, has failed to change anything about the State-owned media, which has lost its credibility with Egyptians.
The vociferous protests against Heikal obliged Ganzouri to change his decision and look for a new minister. Tuesday evening, it was officially announced that Ahmed Anis would be the Media Minister. Anis has a long history of working with the Egyptian broadcasting authority and State TV. He last worked as Secretary General of the Egyptian Broadcast and TV and general manager of the State-owned NileSat satellite channel.