LIMA, Feb. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo swore in a new cabinet headed by the ruling party's legislator Carlos Ferrero in a ceremony held Monday in the Government Palace.

    The president brought back his first Finance Minister Pedro Kuczynski, and named Justice Minister Baldo Kresalja, Education Minister Javier Sota, Health Minister Pilar Mazzetti, Minister of Works Javier Nevez, Production Minister Alfonso Velasquez, and Minister of Transport and Communication Jose Ortiz.

    Jaime Quijandria was moved from the Ministry of Finance to Energy and Mining, while seven other ministers remained in their posts.

    Quijandria and Housing and Constructions Minister Carlos Bruce were the only officials who constantly held ministerial positions through five cabinet reshuffles since the beginning of Toledo's administration in 2001.

    Ferrero, Bruce and Agriculture Minister Jose Leon are members of the ruling party Possible Peru (PP), while others are all independent professionals with experience in both the private and public sectors.

    The cabinet reshuffle came as a result of a political crisis unleashed by the leaking of a tape involving Toledo's friend and adviser Cesar Almeyda. They were accused of holding illegal negotiations with one of the men involved in the corruption network masterminded by former spy chief Vladimiro Montesinos during Alberto Fujimori's administration (1990-2000).

    Opinion polls show that Toledo's popularity rate is currently only 7-8 percent and he is facing one of the country's most serious governance crisis since he took office in July 2001. Enditem