Egypt's Finance Minister Hazem El-Beblawi, who was appointed by the military council in July, has quit his job. According to El-Beblawi's aide, his resignation was due to the government's handling of the protest by Coptic Christians on Sunday night, which ended with clashes between the army and demonstrators, reports the Associated Press.
26 people, many of whom were Coptic Christians, were left dead in the protest, which was one of the bloodiest street battles since the ouster of former president Hosni Mubarak earlier this year.
More from GlobalPost: Egypt erupts in violence
El-Belblawi's resignation was announced on State Television, although no reason was given by the media for his departure. El-Beblawi's aide, who requested anonymity, explained that El-Beblawi was frustrated with the government's inablity to deal with the protests. According to the Associated Press, El Beblawi told the prime minister in his resignation letter that he can't "work like this."
El Beblawi was an economist and a former banker who was appointed as Finance Minister during a cabinet reshuffling by Egypt's military council in July, reports the Financial Times. El Beblawi was a member of the Egyptian Social Democratic party, which called on the government to resign after the killing of the demonstartors, most of whom were Christians protesting against a church in southern Egypt.
Thousands of mourners, chanting agains the ruling military council attended the funeral on Tuesday for the 17 Coptic Christians killed in the protests.
More from GlobalPost: Has Egypt's revolution become a military coup?
At The World, we believe strongly that human-centered journalism is at the heart of an informed public and a strong democracy. We see democracy and journalism as two sides of the same coin. If you care about one, it is imperative to care about the other.
Every day, our nonprofit newsroom seeks to inform and empower listeners and hold the powerful accountable. Neither would be possible without the support of listeners like you. If you believe in our work, will you give today? We need your help now more than ever!