Dr. Hesham Kandeel is now PM of the new Egypt. Chosen by President Mohamed Morsi for that post, he is a technocrat of 50 years of age. Like Morsi, he is an engineer, with extensive training in the U.S. As promised by Morsi, Kandeel was picked up from outside the ranks of the Muslim Brotherhood.
One of the gravest problems facing Egypt is the possible reduction of its quota from the water of the Nile. That quota was set by a treaty concluded in 1929 when Egypt was a semi-protectorate of Great Britain which had a final say not only in Egypt, but also in the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan.
The Blue Nile runs from Ethiopia through the Sudan causing the great annual flood in Egypt; the White Nile runs from Lake Victoria, Uganda, also through the Sudan, up north.
From Khartoum, the Sudan, the two rivers combine in the majestic Nile River which empties in the Mediterranean after leaving its bounty to give life to Egypt. Now 7 African States, which are also Nile reparians, having become independent since the 1960's, demand a revision of that treaty. They aim at benefiting from better quotas of the waters of the mighty Nile. So far Egypt and the Sudan have been reluctant; but their stance cannot possibly trump agreed needs of these sister States for more Nile water for development.
Against this complex watery background, the selection of Dr. Kandeel to lead the first Egyptian Cabinet, following the heady days of the January 25, 2011 revolution, assumes special significance. He has been the Minister of Irrigation and Water Resources in the interim cabinet of Dr. El-Ganzoury. Africa, the NileValley, and infrastructure are expected to become new ministerial portfolios in the about to be announced Kandeel Cabinet.
Comments by politicians, academics and the youth made to various Arabic language media reflect enthusiasm for the emerging character of the Kandeel Cabinet. Prominent among those are statements made by Dr. Mustafa Elwi, distinguished professor in the Cairo University Faculty of Economics and Political Science.
Dr. Elwi stresses the importance of the technocratic nature of the new Cabinet with ministers chosen, not on the basis of political or party considerations. The main criterion for selection, he pointed out, should be meritocracy which is the only way to lift the new Egypt out of the present primal chaos.
In the same vein, the liberals represented by Al-Wafd party, which is much older than the Muslim Brotherhood, gave an unqualified support to a Cabinet of technocrats. In this respect, Al-Wafd party expressed its good wishes to Kandeel whose Cabinet is expected to include at least one Coptic minister, the present Minister of Tourism, Munir Fakhr El-Din, a member of the Wafd.
The burdens of the new Cabinet, which is expected to include a broad spectrum of a variety of Egyptian parties, forces, and organizations, cannot be underestimated. Its most pressing problems are the economy and the restoration of tranquility and peace to the Egyptian street.
As to the issue of relations with the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), an active process of dialogue and consultation is afoot since June 30. That is the date when SCAF handed most of the reigns of power to the newly-elected President of Egypt, Dr. Morsi. Here the main issues of these consultations between the civilian administration and the SCAF are the selection of the Minister of Defense, the degree of scrutiny over the military budget, the SCAF's concern for the balance of powers between the three branches of government, and the continued secularity of the new Egypt.
A few hours from the posting of this blog, the new Cabinet of Kandeel would have taken the oath of office before President Morsi. Following that historic event, a new Presidential Advisory Council would also be declared. It is expected to include a leading Coptic political thinker, Samir Morkos, in a newly created position of decision-making, called Assistant President.
The new Egypt is finally taking shape. A Kandeel (a lantern) is throwing some light into the fog which has enveloped the country since January 25, 2011. Said Prime Minister Kandeel (not Kandil): "My Cabinet shall be an integrated team, and shall include at least one woman. The new ministerial portfolio on the Nile Valley is directly related to our national security."
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