Atef Ebeid
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Dr. Atef Muhammad Ebeid (born 14 April, 1932) was the Prime Minister of Egypt from October 1999 to July 2004. President Hosni Mubarak invited him to form the new government after the parliamentary elections in 1999. Dr. Ebeid was sworn on October 5, 1999, replacing Kamal Ganzouri.
Dr. Ebeid served as the Minister for the Economy in the Ganzouri Government. Prior to that he was a Professor of Economics at Cairo University.
During his tenure as prime minister, economic growth in Egypt slowed and the price of living soared. He is only credited for managing to transfer Egypt from a static economy to a more capitalist system within a few years.
Dr Ebeid served as the Acting President of the Republic from 20 June 2004 to 6 July 2004, a period during which President Hosni Mubarak was receiving treatment in Germany from a slipped disk and was incapable of exercising his Constitutional responsibilities. This appointment sparked sharp criticism by certain political groups as it was deemed unconstitutional for several reasons. Firstly, the Egyptian Constitution establishes the Speaker of the People’s Assembly to be first inline of succession to the Presidency. Secondly, the Constitution clearly excludes the Prime Minister from holding the office of Acting President. Finally, during this period of time, too much political power was concentrated in the hands of one individual.
Dr. Ebeid resigned on 9 July 2004 amid increasing pressure from parliament and the populace. Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif replaced him.
See also: List of national leaders
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