CAIRO - Kamal el-Ganzouri, the newly appointed prime minister, said on Sunday that seven ministers of the former government deserve to remain in office but said he hasn't decided yet whether they would be in the new lineup. El Ganzouri refused to disclose their names so that they would not be opposed by protesters in Tahrir. He denied that he had offered portfolios to any body on Saturday, confirming that he hasn't chosen his new government yet. El-Ganzouri pointed out that his meeting with groups of protesters was to keep abreast of their demands. The new prime minister clarified that when he was a prime minister - from 1996 till 1999 - he was keen to be in charge of some ministries and bodies when he had doubts about their malpractices, el-Ganzouri was quoted by a talk show Saturday night. He also added that he was unlike other prime ministers that were rewarded by appointment in prestigious positions after leaving office. El-Ganzouri stressed that security and economy are atop his priorities. He vowed to restore security to the streets by restructuring the Interior Ministry to cope with the current conditions.
