Syrian president makes minor Cabinet changes

Syria's President Bashar Assad has replaced two ministers in his government in what is a second minor Cabinet reshuffle this year. The official news agency SANA says that a presidential decree on Thursday named Omar Ibrahim Ghalawenji as the new minister of housing and construction, and Ahmed Qusai Kayali as the new minister of electricity. SANA gave no reason for the Cabinet changes. Before their appointments, Ghalawenji was the head of General Housing Institute, while al-Ali was deputy head of the Aleppo University. In July, Assad replaced the minister of expatriates. In December 2007 he replaced the communications and religious affairs ministers.