Recently appointed Prime Minister Kamal al-Ganzouri is to officially announce the names of his new cabinet on Tuesday, a cabinet source has told Al-Masry Al-Youm.
According to the source, who asked not to be identified because he is not authorized to speak to the press, the names of most of the new ministers have already been made known, except for that of the new interior minister, which remains a closely-guarded secret.
Ganzouri has been working for two weeks to select a new cabinet, since the resignation of former Prime Minister Essam Sharaf and the dismissal of his cabinet. Perhaps the most difficult job to fill has been that of interior minister, a post formely held by Mansour al-Essawy.
In making his selection, Ganzouri excluded General Hassan Abdel Hameed for the post due to objections from fellow police officers at the Interior Ministry.
Abdel Hameed is a witness in the trial of former President Hosni Mubarak. He told the court in September that former Interior Minister Habib al-Adly ordered the shooting of protesters during the 18-day uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak.
The new cabinet is to be sworn in before Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, president of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), on Wednesday.
On Monday, Ganzouri met with General Mamdouh Shahin, the assistant secretary of defense and a member of the SCAF.
The source said that during the meeting, the two discussed the forthcoming amendments to paragraph 10 of Article 56 and Article 57 of the Constitutional Declaration, to give greater authority to the prime minister to administer the country.
Information Minister Osama Heikal left his office on Monday morning after collecting his belongings and leaving behind the ministry’s car. Ganzouri had stated on Sunday that Heikal would not remain at his post.
