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Egypt's new cabinet unveils

Updated: 2011-07-18 08:46

(Xinhua)

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CAIRO - Egypt's reshuffled government is unveiling on Sunday as some 15 ministers were appointed by Prime Minister Essam Sharaf in efforts to calm down protestors.

Sharaf has submitted the new list of ministers to the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces for approval. They will be sworn in before the council's head Hussein Tantawi on Monday.

Egypt's new cabinet unveils

Mohamed Kamel Amr was appointed late Sunday as the new foreign minister to replace Mohammed el-Orabi who spent less then one month in his post. Amr worked previously as an Egyptian ambassador to Saudi Arabia and then in the World Bank.

Hazem el-Beblawi, a 75-year-old renowned economist, was named finance minister and deputy prime minister for economic affairs. Beblawi has been an advisor to the Arab Monetary Fund based in Abu Dhabi since 2001.

Ali el-Selmi, a senior member of the Wafd Party, was on Saturday appointed deputy prime minister for democratic transition.

The new ministers of transport, antiquities, civil aviation, communications and IT, higher education, trade and industry, local development, agriculture and military production were also appointed.

The sweeping reshuffle is part of the latest actions aiming to meet the demands of protestors. Foreign Minister Mohamed el-Orabi, Trade and Industry Minister Samir el-Sayyad, Deputy Prime Minister Yehia el-Gamal and some other ministers had submitted their resignations ahead of the restructuring.

But the ministers of interior, justice, culture and information have so far not been included in the reshuffle.

Mixed responses

The reshuffle has drawn mixed responses from Egyptian internet users. On the Facebook page of Sharaf, there seemed to be more remarks against the arrangements than those for.

"We want the revolution youth to take part in the new government either as deputies or ministers, we want clean people, we want a government that can respond more than the speed of the voices of the streets," said Amany Fattah.

"Egyptians desperately need a true reform," said another netizen Abd Elnaby Farag.

Many Facebook users urged the ministers of interior and justice to leave.

"How can we understand that people who stayed 20 years in the corruption farm to be appointed as our new ministers," said a comment left by Abd el-Naby Ahmed.

But some citizens showed support for the moves.

"For the prime minister, you cannot please all Egyptians, God be with you for the sake of our country," said Emad Moustafa.

Muhammed Anbr said it was a very good step to change the minister of state for local development, as this ministry is threatening the main principles of the revolution such as freedom, integrity and social justice".

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