However, three former members of the Mubarak regime retained senior posts. The move comes as the military leadership overseeing the country's transition is trying to assure Egyptians that it is committed to democratic reforms.
However, the decision to keep Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq, Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit and Justice Minister Mamdouh Marie — three former Mubarak’s loyalists — in their post drew criticism from youth activists who helped launch the uprising on Jan. 25.
Mohammed Abbas, a member of the Egypt Youth Coalition, described the changes as “patchwork.” He called for swift, comprehensive changes. He said the youth groups hope to draw one million to a rally in Cairo's Tahrir Square, the center of the uprising, on Friday, and will urge them to stay overnight. “We have to keep the pressure until all our demands are met,” he said.
The new Cabinet includes independents and members of opposition parties for the first time in decades, pushing out the longtime ministers of oil, social justice and labor.
The new Cabinet also included two Coptic Christians, including an ex-lawmaker. Among the new names were Monier Fakhri Abdel Nour, a Coptic member of the Wafd opposition party as minister of tourism, filling a position that has been vacant since Zuhair Garana was jailed on corruption charges.
Top leftist Tagammu party member Gouda Abdel Khaleq also was named minister of social justice.
Warning of new mass protests, the young activists who led the movement have pressed the military council to form a broad-based government that excludes Mubarak's cronies, release political prisoners and abolish laws on political parties and allow free and fair election.
The military council already has dissolved parliament, which was stacked with members of Mubarak's National Democratic party, and suspended the constitution.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will answer questions from Egyptian young people in an online interview meant to show US support for the country's pro-democracy movement. The interview will be posted Wednesday on an Egyptian social media website. The State Department says users have already submitted almost 6,500 written questions, videos and audio files through that website, called Masrawy, or through the State Department.
Masrawy attracts nearly 600,000 visitors each day, mostly Egyptians and many younger than age 35.
Many young people in Egypt have a low opinion of the United States after decades of its support for the autocratic ruler Mubarak, who was ousted earlier this month.
In another development, Egypt’s military rulers reinforced their border with Libya on Tuesday and opened the frontier round-the-clock to thousands fleeing the turmoil unleashed by the revolt against Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi.
Egypt, which borders Libya to the east, was planning to send at least four aircraft to evacuate its citizens from Tripoli, pending permission from Libyan air traffic authorities.
The Egyptian foreign minister on Tuesday called on Tripoli to swiftly issue permits for flights into Libya. He said that runways at Benghazi airport had been destroyed in the turmoil.
The Cairo government has declared Libya responsible for the safety of its citizens after Gaddafi’s son, Saif Al-Islam, accused Egyptians of involvement in the turmoil — an accusation Egypt said was made "without any clear basis."
“We know there are about 1 million to 1.5 million Egyptians in Libya, therefore we recommend to our citizens that you stay in your homes, stay off the streets, secure yourselves with water and food,” Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit said.
