Mubarak swears in new government - of old faces

Jan 31, 2011, 13:25 GMT

Cairo - Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak swore in a new cabinet Monday but with many members of his previous government retaining their seats - as protesters continued with a seventh day of demonstrations.

The move was seen by protesters as a change within the existing system as opposed to a more systemic change they are demanding, with most calling for the departure of Mubarak himself.

Each minister took an oath and then stepped forward to shake Mubarak's hand, in a ceremony broadcast on state television.

Mahmoud Wagdy, the former head of the prisons authority, was moved up to head the interior ministry, which controls the police, replacing Habib al-Adly, who was targeted in the anti-government protests.

But the move means the ministry stays within the hands of the police, and was not transferred to the military, as some demonstrators had hoped.

After much confusion - and several public refusals to take the job - Samir Radhwan was appointed to head the ministry of finance, a key job now that markets have been panicked by the unrest in Egypt.

The trade ministry was filled by a former deputy minister, Samiha Fawzi, who replaced the much respected Rachid Mohamed Rachid, after he refused the job.

Mohammed Tantawi stayed on at defence ministry, Ahmed Aboul Gheit remained foreign minister. The ministries of Oil, Labour and Welfare also stayed in the same hands, but a new health minister was appointed.

Zahi Hawas, the flamboyant archeologist in charge of key projects and the Egyptian Museum, has been moved up to minister of antiquities.

Protesters continued to pour into Tahrir Square in central Cairo and in other cities to take up new demonstrations on the seventh day of unrest, with a 'million man march' against Mubarak and the government planned for Tuesday.

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