FJP Cabinet members resign in protest against ‘coup’

Nine ministers belonging to the Freedom and Justice Party (FJP), the political arm of the once-ruling Muslim Brotherhood, submitted their resignation on Thursday in protest against the military's decision to remove former President Mohamed Morsi from office, the party’s official website said.

Minister of Defense Abdel Fattah al-Sisi declared on Wednesday evening that Supreme Constitutional Court head Adly Mansour would serve as the nation’s interim president until early presidential elections could be held, allegedly in response to the mass protests that took place nationwide on June 30 demanding that Morsi step down. Mansour was sworn in Thursday morning.

The FJP said in a statement that the ministers resigned in protest against "the forced military takeover through a coup.”

"In respect to the will of the Egyptian people, who trusted us through the legitimate elected president, who appointed us to perform our executive duties in a democratic and constitutional way, and in rejection of the suspension of the constitution that was agreed on in a free and fair way, we present our resignation," the statement said.

The Cabinet members who quit their posts included: Local Development Minister Mohamed Ali Beshr, Youth Minister Osama Yassin, Manpower Minister Khaled al-Azhary, Investment Minister Yehia Hamed, Supply Minister Bassem Kamal, Planning and International Cooperation Minister Amr Darrag, Education Minister Ibrahim Ghoneim, Information Minister Salah Abdel Maqsoud and Transportation Minister Hatem Abdel Latif.