2004-03-10 - Announcing his new cabinet, Costas Caramanlis said he would lead the culture ministry, which is in charge of building and renovating numerous venues for the games, including a much-delayed project to build a roof over the Olympic Stadium.

His decision reflected the extreme urgency about finishing preparations before the Aug. 13-29 games. Authorities have struggled to overcome years of delays and other problems in preparations.
Athens organizers would not comment on the move.

An International Olympic Committee delegation led by IOC president Jacques Rogge was expected in Athens on Saturday. The committee had long urged the Socialists, ousted in elections Sunday after 11 years in power, to streamline decision-making to keep pace with tight deadlines.

There were reports that Caramanlis considered Athens Organizing Committee chief Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki for the post.

Caramanlis, who leads the New Democracy party, reneged on a pledge that his government would be significantly smaller than the Socialist cabinet of 19 ministries and 50 officials.

His cabinet includes 19 ministries and 46 officials. It also includes just two women -- Fani Palli-Petralia in the post of deputy culture minister and Marietta Giannakou as education minister.

Caramanlis also proposed a woman for the post of parliament speaker. If approved by the 300-member body, Anna Psarouda-Benaki would become the first woman to ever hold that post in Greece.

Caramanlis created one new cabinet post -- tourism minister -- and abolished the press ministry. A number of ministries were renamed.

Caramanlis had promised to forge a government mostly made up of people from "my
generation." But some of the key posts were given to party veterans.

Giorgos Souflias, 63, a civil engineer and New Democracy's chief strategist, took over the critical ministry of public works, responsible for finishing many delayed Olympics venues.

Petros Moliviatis, 76, a career diplomat and close adviser to Caramanlis on foreign policy, was named foreign minister. Moliviatis also served as personal secretary to Caramanlis' late uncle, former premier and president Constantine Caramanlis.