Egypt's Army-Backed Government Has Resigned

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian Prime Minister Hazem el-Beblawi said on Monday the government is to resign.

"Today the cabinet took a decision to offer its resignation to the president of the republic," Beblawi said in a televised statement. He gave no clear reason for the decision.

Beblawi was appointed after the army toppled president Mohamed Mursi last July following mass protests against his rule.

Egypt's interim president Adly Mansour has asked prime minister Hazem el-Beblawi to run the government's affairs until a new prime minister is selected, the state-run al-Ahram news website reported on Monday.

State-run Al Ahram , citing an unnamed source, said the decision was made after a 15-minute meeting of the cabinet. Army chief Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who is expected to run for president, was part of the cabinet, serving as defense minister.

(Reporting by Asma Alsharif and Yasmine Saleh; Writing by Michael Georgy)