CAIRO, Feb 15 (AFP) - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Tuesday replaced his information minister, the main architect of government propaganda, amid an unprecedented campaign by the opposition against him standing for a fifth term.
A presidential decree appointed youth minister Anas al-Feqi to head the information ministry while incumbent information minister Mamduh al-Beltagi was handed the youth portfolio.
No official reason was given for the sudden ministerial swap, which came just months ahead of a parliamentary vote on Mubarak's nomination for a fifth mandate.
Under the Egyptian political system, parliament will elect a single candidate for the presidency in May, whose name will then be put to a referendum in September or October.
Beltagi's removal from the information ministry -- the government's main propaganda tool -- coincided with unprecedented campaigns by the opposition against a renewal of Mubarak's mandate.
Opposition leaders have long called for constitutional reform to pave the way for the president to be chosen from a list of candidates by universal suffrage, as well as for a reduction of presidential powers.
Beltagui, a former tourism minister, was appointed information minister in a July cabinet reshuffle that saw at least seven members of the ruling party's policies' committee headed by Mubarak's son, Gamal, appointed as ministers.
His relegation to the youth ministry could suggest dissatisfaction among the political leadership with his performance in countering growing opposition to Mubarak's rule.
The information ministry is set to play a crucial role in the re-election of the president.
02/15/2005 12:22 GMT - AFP