Egypt reaffirms PM to remain in office

The Egyptian presidency on Sunday reaffirmed that Prime Minister Hesham Qandil would remain in office in the upcoming cabinet reshuffle. "There is no deliberation over assigning the post to another figure," a presidential source reiterated to Xinhua. On Friday, the presidency has denied circulated rumors that President Mohamed Morsi intended to hold the post of prime minister in an imminent cabinet reshuffle. Qandil has been facing wide criticism from the opposition over his government's "poor performance," and sacking him has been one of their major demands. In late April, Morsi announced the cabinet reshuffle, saying those best qualified would hold the responsibility while those who did not make any accomplishments would be replaced. According to political analysts, the expected partial reshuffle that would include about six ministers could hardly satisfy the country's opposition, which demands a complete change of government.