Eyptian central bank chief resigns
Egypt’s central bank governor has resigned, state television reported tonight.
Farouq el-Oqdah’s resignation is the second such high-profile move today.
Earlier, Vice President Mahmoud Mekki resigned, saying he realised that politics did not suit his professional background as a judge.
The brief TV report did not say why Mr el-Oqdah quit, but it ends days of media speculation about his intentions.
Islamist President Mohammed Morsi and his Prime Minister, Hesham Kandil, met Mr el-Oqdah earlier this week in what media reports said was an attempt to dissuade him from leaving.
His departure comes at a time when Egypt’s pound has been losing value against the US dollar and the postponement of a deal with the IMF for a much needed loan of 4.8 billion US dollars.
