CAIRO
Prime Minister-designate Ibrahim Mehleb has decided to retain 15 of the 33 ministers in Egypt's outgoing cabinet, informed cabinet sources said Wednesday.
They added that Mehleb had decided to retain the ministers of security, religious endowments, antiquities, communication, education, local development, planning, industry and foreign trade, domestic trade, youth, transitional justice, parliamentary affairs, petroleum, tourism, information, and agriculture.
The sources told Anadolu Agency that Mehleb had also decided to merge four ministries with other ministries.
The prime minister-designate also decided to keep Foreign Minister Nabil Fahmi in place, the cabinet sources said.
Mehleb is due to resume consultations on the formation of the new government by meeting more ministerial nominees on Tuesday.
At a Tuesday press conference, the prime minister-designate said it would take him between three and four days to form the new government.
He added that security would be a top priority for his government, promising to pave the way for transparent and fair presidential elections.
Mehleb's predecessor, Hazem al-Beblawi, submitted his resignation on Monday, citing rampant labor unrest.
On Tuesday, Mehleb met with former prime minister Kamal al-Ganzouri to consult him on means of pushing the economy forward, the cabinet sources told AA.
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