Names of likely ministers emerge

Egypt's ministers of finance and foreign affairs said on Wednesday they were keeping their posts in a new government being formed by Prime Minister-designate Hesham Qandil, according to Reuters

Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr and Finance Minister Momtaz al-Saeed confirmed they would stay on after a meeting with Qandil, who is due to formally announce his Cabinet Thursday.

Nile News, a state-run television station, ran the a list of nominees for the ministerial posts on its breaking news bar.

According to a reporter for the channel, Qandil has already finalized the formation of the Cabinet, and some new ministers made statements to the press at the cabinet building.

The president's office had said the new ministers would be sworn in on Thursday.

Nile News reported that Antiquities Minister Mohamed Ibrahim Ali would maintain his post. Mohamed Rashad, an engineering professor at Cairo University, will reportedly be named transportation minister, and Hany Mahmoud, a former director of the cabinet's Information and Decision Support Center is expected to head the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology.

Qandil also met with Ahmed Gamal Eddin, the director of the National Intelligence Authority, to discuss the possibility of him replacing incumbent Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim.

The website of state-run newspaper Al-Ahram said Nadia Zakhary would stay on as minister of scientific research and Nagwa Khalil would remain minister of insurance and social affairs.

Mostafa Mosaad, who was responsible for education issues in President Mohamed Morsy's presidential campaign, will reportedly be appointed minister of higher education.

The same website said Qandil had also met with Osama Saleh, chairman of the Egyptian Investment Authority, who is expected to head the Ministry of Investment. Osama al-Abd, the president of Al-Azhar University, is tipped for the Ministry of Religious Endowments. Osama Kamal, the director of the Egyptian Petrochemical Holding Company is likely to be appointed as minister of petroleum, while Mahmoud Balbaa, the director of the Egyptian Electricity Holding Company may be named electricity and energy minister. Governor of Kafr al-Sheikh Ahmed Zaky Abdeen is a possible nominee to head the Ministry of Local Development.