Quick Facts
Biography
Ali Mohamed Abdel Hafiz El Selmi (Arabic: علي محمد عبدال حفظ إل سلمي) is an Egyptian liberal academic and politician who served as a deputy prime minister from July to December 2011 in the interim government in Egypt.
Career
Selmi is a professor of economics. He is a senior member of the liberal Wafd Party and also deputy head of the party. Selmi was minister of administrative development in former cabinets of Egypt. He was appointed deputy prime minister for political affairs in the interim government headed by then prime minister Essam Sharaf on 16 July 2011. Selmi replaced Yehia Gammal, who resigned from office. Selmi announced shortly after his appointment that the privatization program had been ended. On 1 November 2011, the cabinet announced a set of principles developed by Selmi regarding the prospective constitution of Egypt, which were officially called the "Declaration of the Fundamental Principles of the New Egyptian State", but more commonly known as "Selmi document". The document supported the increased role and political influence of the Egyptian army. On 18 November 2011, it was protested by hundreds of thousands of Egyptians in the Tahrir square. Selmi's tenure lasted until December 2011 when the interim cabinet resigned.