CAIRO (Updated) - Egypt's new Cabinet was sworn in as the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Council set restoring security and preparing for a democratic election as two main priorities for the new Government, which still had limited powers under the Constitutional Declaration. The new Cabinet came under fire from the revolutionaries, who refuse to leave Tahrir Square, until an extended reshuffle takes place, including Prime Minister Essam Sharaf's removal. More than half of the ministers have been changed, including the foreign, finance and trade ministers, and some of those removed were appointed by Mubarak. Interior Minister Mansour el-Eissawi keeps his post. Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, head of the SCAF, held a meeting with the newly appointed Government after the official swearing-in ceremony. During the meeting, Tantawi highlighted certain priorities and high-profile issues that the new Government should take into account. Tantawi stressed issues such as "restoring security and preparing the country for a democratic election process", as well as working to rebuild confidence in the Egyptian economy. Tantawi also asked the new Government to support judicial bodies in the trials of former regime officials. "This will calm people a little, but it is still not enough because ... people expected changes in the interior and justice ministries," said Adel Soliman, head of the International Centre for Future and Strategic Studies, an Egyptian think tank. "But it is obvious that the prime minister does not have full authority to change them and he is under pressure." Most of the new names were decided last week. The swearing-in was delayed after Prime Minister Essam Sharaf suffered a drop in blood pressure on Monday as he tried to complete his new ministerial line-up and was sent to hospital. He left hospital later that day after his condition was declared stable. The swearing-in was due to take place at midday on Thursday, but was delayed further as Sharaf finalised appointments to the communications and trade ministries, Cabinet sources said. Mahmoud Eissa was named trade and industry minister and Mohamed Salem took the communications portfolio, both promoted from within their departments. The new ministers, including Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr, took the oath of office in the presence of Tantawi, the head of the ruling Military Council, the official news agency MENA said. Protesters camping out in Cairo's Tahrir Square have demanded faster political and economic reform, a swift move to democratic civilian rule and the removal from Government of members of deposed Mubarak's now defunct party. Some welcomed el-Eissawi's decision last week to remove hundreds of police blamed for violence against protesters. Others say he has done too little to end a culture of thuggery and impunity in the police force. New Finance Minister Hazem el-Beblawi moved this week to allay speculation that the new administration would shift to a more statist approach. He said the Government was committed to a market economy and wanted a predictable investment environment. The interim Government has been under pressure to boost the state's role in the economy to alleviate the suffering of millions of poor who were squeezed by a growing wealth gap under Mubarak and now face the brunt of an economic crisis. The protests in the capital have increasingly targeted the Army Council, which is accused of delaying Mubarak's trial and being too slow to remove officials from the old administration. More protests are expected in Cairo and other governorates today as most activist and political groups have rejected the Cabinet reshuffle.
Line-up of new Cabinet • Prime Minister: Essam Sharaf • Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Public Sector Enterprises: Ali el-Selmi (New) • Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finance: Hazem el-Beblawi (New) • Minister of Interior: Mansour el-Essawi • Foreign Minister: Mohamed Kamel Amr (New) • Minister of Housing : Mohamed Fathi el-Baradei • Minister of Agriculture: Salah Youssef Farag (New) • Minister of Local Development: Mohamed Ahmed Attia (New) • Minister of Justice: Mohamed Abdel Aziz el-Guindi • Minister of the Environment: Maged George • Minister of Education: Ahmed Gamal Eddin Moussa • Minister of Oil: Mohamed Abdallah Ghorab • Minister of Higher Education: Mo'ataz Khorshid (New) • Minister of Telecommunications: Mohamed Salem (New) • Minister of Waqfs (Religious Endowments): Mohamed el-Qossi (New) • Minister of Military Production: Ali Sabri (New) • Minister of Health and Population: Dr Amr Helmi (New) • Minister of International Co-operation and Planning: Fayza Abul Naga • Minister of Electricity: Hassan Younis • Minister of Civil Aviation: Lotfi Kamal (New) • Minister of Transport: Ali Zine el-Abidine Heikal (New) • Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation: Hesham Qandil (New) • Minister of Culture: Emad Abu Ghazi • Minister of Trade and Industry: Mahmoud Eissa (New) • Minister of Solidarity and Social Justice: Gouda Abdel Khaleq • Minister of Tourism: Mounir Fakhri Abdel Nour • Minister of Manpower: Ahmed el-Boraei
