Georgia's Ivanishvili names first cabinet

TBILISI, Georgia - Georgia's Bidzina Ivanishvili announced his first cabinet Monday after his Georgian Dream coalition's shock parliamentary election win over President Mikheil Saakashvili's once dominant ruling party last week.

Ivanishvili named Maia Panjikidze, a former ambassador to the Netherlands, as foreign minister in the next government which is expected to be formed later this month.

He named his close ally Irakli Garibashvili as interior minister, and Irakli Alasania, a former ambassador to the United Nations, as defence minister.

Former AC Milan football star Kakha Kaladze was also named as minister for infrastructure and regional development.

"It will truly be a people's government," Ivanishvili told a news conference.

Alasania and Kaladze will also serve as deputy prime ministers, he said.

Ivanishvili, the billionaire tycoon-turned-politician, expects to become prime minister in the next government, although he will have to be nominated to parliament by his defeated rival Saakashvili, who is set to remain president for another year.

Georgian Dream could hold 83 seats in the next parliament with Saakashvili's United National Movement taking 67, according to the latest unfinalised figures from the central election commission after last Monday's poll.