Kamal Ganzouri facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kamal Ganzouri
كمال الجنزورى |
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| 46th Prime Minister of Egypt | |
| In office 7 December 2011 – 2 August 2012 |
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| President | Mohamed Hussein Tantawi (Acting) Mohamed Morsi |
| Preceded by | Essam Sharaf |
| Succeeded by | Hesham Qandil |
| In office 2 January 1996 – 5 October 1999 |
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| President | Hosni Mubarak |
| Preceded by | Atef Sedki |
| Succeeded by | Atef Ebeid |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 12 January 1933 Monufia, Egypt |
| Died | 31 March 2021 (aged 88) New Cairo, Egypt |
| Political party | National Democratic Party (Before 1999) Independent (1999–2021) |
| Alma mater | Michigan State University |
Kamal Ganzouri (Egyptian Arabic: كمال الجنزورى; 12 January 1933 – 31 March 2021) was an Egyptian economist and important political leader. He served as the Prime Minister of Egypt two times. His first time was from 1996 to 1999. Later, he became prime minister again from 2011 to 2012. People sometimes called him the Minister of the Poor because he cared about people with low incomes. He was also known as the Opposition Minister because he listened to different viewpoints. Before becoming prime minister, Ganzouri worked as the Minister of Planning.
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Early life and education
Kamal Ganzouri was born on 12 January 1933. His hometown was Garwan, which is in Bagor city in the Monufia Governorate of Egypt. He studied in the United States and earned a special degree called a PhD from Michigan State University. After finishing his studies, he started teaching at universities in Egypt in 1959.
Political career
Starting out in politics
Ganzouri began his political journey in the 1960s. From 1962 to 1967, he was part of the board at the Sadat Academy for Administrative Sciences. In 1968, he became an economic adviser for a bank that helped African countries. He also advised the President of Egypt, Anwar Sadat.
He was a member of national councils that focused on important areas like production, education, and services. In 1974, he became an undersecretary for the Planning Minister. This meant he helped the main minister with planning.
In 1976, he was chosen to be the Governor of the New Valley Governorate. A governor is like a leader for a specific region. The next year, in 1977, he became Governor of the Beni Suef Governorate. However, he left that job after only six months.
Minister of Planning
After leaving his role as Governor of Beni Suef, Ganzouri became the director of The National Planning Institute in 1977. This institute helps plan for the country's future.
When Hosni Mubarak became President of Egypt in 1981, Ganzouri was appointed Minister of Planning in 1982. This role meant he was in charge of making plans for Egypt's development. In 1984, he also became the Minister of International Cooperation. This job involved working with other countries. From 1986 to 1996, he served as the Deputy prime minister, which is a very high position in the government.
First time as Prime Minister
On 2 January 1996, President Hosni Mubarak chose Kamal Ganzouri to be the new Prime Minister. During his first time as prime minister, he worked very hard and made many changes. His government passed 387 laws in about four years. Many of these laws brought big changes to Egypt.
He started his time as prime minister with four major projects. These projects aimed to help people live in new areas away from the crowded Nile River valley. His skill in planning helped him create a development plan for Egypt that looked ahead to the year 2017.
Ganzouri also improved Egypt's relationship with the International Bank and the International Monetary Fund. These organizations help countries with their economies. Egypt had not completed a program with the International Bank since 1961, but Ganzouri's government finished one. During his time, the number of people living in poverty in Egypt went down from 21% to 17%. However, many of his planned projects were stopped after he was dismissed from his role on 5 October 1999.
Life after his first term
After he was no longer prime minister, Kamal Ganzouri stayed out of the public eye for a long time. Some government officials at the time said he didn't do much good for the country. Because of this, his 20-year plan and the four big projects he started were not continued by the new government. Even so, many people in Egypt remembered him well because of the important changes he had made.
Supporting the 2011 Egyptian Revolution
Kamal Ganzouri appeared in public again after about 11 years of silence. This happened when the 2011 Egyptian revolution began, and after President Hosni Mubarak stepped down. Ganzouri spoke on a TV show, saying that it was the start of a new time for Egypt and there was no going back.
He later gave his first detailed interview on another TV program. He offered his sympathy to the protesters who had died during the revolution. He also said he was ready to be judged for any actions he took that might have harmed Egypt.
When asked if he would run for President of Egypt, he did not give a direct answer. He said that choice should be made by the people.
Possible presidential run
After his TV appearances, many people started supporting him for president. Groups were created on Facebook to show support for him. Some political parties even thought about backing him as their candidate. He had a lot of support from people, especially those with lower incomes, who remembered the positive changes he made. However, he never officially announced that he would run for president. He did appear in the news to answer questions about some past government cases.
Second time as Prime Minister
After Essam Sharaf resigned as Prime Minister in November 2011, Egypt's military leaders chose Kamal Ganzouri to form a new government. This happened on 24 November. He created his "Salvation Government" and officially took office on 7 December 2011.
The military leaders announced that they had given him almost all presidential powers. The only areas he didn't control were related to the justice system and the military. His government resigned on 26 June 2012. This was after Mohamed Morsi was elected as the new President of Egypt, to allow a new government to be formed.
Personal life and death
Kamal Ganzouri was married and had three daughters named Suzanne, Magda, and Mona.
He passed away on 31 March 2021, at the age of 88.
See also
In Spanish: Kamal Ganzuri para niños
