Egypt's prime minister has promised to fight corruption and implement other reforms, as a newly reshuffled Cabinet was sworn in under pressure from protesters demanding faster change and a deeper purge of former president Hosni Mubarak's allies.

In a nationally televised address late Thursday, Essam Sharaf said he would set up an anti-corruption body and work to end Egypt's hated 30-year emergency law. The prime minister said he would root out the graft and police abuse that were key factors in igniting the revolt against Mr. Mubarak.

More than half the Cabinet has been changed, including the foreign, finance and trade ministers. But protesters wanted Mr. Sharaf to also replace the key interior and justice ministers, both of whom kept their posts. Experts say the status quo in those ministries may spark further protests despite the Interior Ministry's firings of more than 600 top police officials last week.

Activists welcomed some aspects of the new line-up, but most do not believe the caretaker government will be a powerful force for change since the military must sign off on anything it does. The Cabinet is not expected to remain in office for more than four months, with parliamentary elections scheduled for October or November.

Field Marshall Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, head of the ruling military council, told the new Cabinet its job is to restore security, prepare for parliamentary and presidential elections, and oversee the writing of a new constitution.

The ceremony was delayed amid objections over some candidates and after Mr. Sharaf became ill.

Reformists have been pressing the country's interim rulers to speed up the pace of purging and prosecuting officials from Mr. Mubarak's government who are blamed for violence and corruption. Some demonstrators have camped out in Cairo's Tahrir Square to press their demands.

On Wednesday, the military council announced it would not allow international observers to monitor upcoming elections. General Mamdouh Shaheen said barring foreign monitors was necessary to protect Egypt's sovereignty.

He told reporters in Cairo the parliamentary vote would be held before the end of the year and that it would take place in three stages with 15-day periods separating each round. The general said the staggered vote would ensure judges are able to thoroughly monitor the polling.

In a notable change from elections held under Mr. Mubarak, he said the judiciary would oversee the process, not the Interior Ministry, which many Egyptians say often fixed the vote to help the ruling party.