Karamanlis is determined to see successful games

Costas Karamanlis' announcement comes two days after his conservative New Democracy Party ousted the socialists.

Greece faces a race against time to finish all its Olympic venues by the time the games open in August.

Mr Karamanlis' decision to take personal responsibility follows a post-election pledge to make the games the "best and most secure ever".

As new head of the culture department, he has only five months to sort out the unfinished projects, some of which are on an extremely tight timetable.

Map of Athens progress

The roof on the main stadium, for example, is a unique piece of engineering involving a huge glass and steel dome. Organisers say it will be ready in early summer, but the schedule allows no time for fresh problems to be discovered.

Even before making his victory speech, Mr Karamanlis met the chief organiser of the Athens Olympics, Gianna Angelopoulos - a sign of how high the games are on his list of priorities.

The Olympic preparations got off to a slow start after the 2004 games were awarded to Athens. By the time construction began in earnest, the race against time was already under way.

An International Olympic Committee delegation, headed by its president, Jacques Rogge, is due in Greece on Saturday to check on progress.

New cabinet

In other cabinet decisions, 76-year-old Petros Moliviatis was expected to be named foreign minister. He held the same post in the late 1970s and is seen as a safe pair of hands to handle difficult negotiations currently under way over Cyprus.

And economist George Alogoskoufis, 49, is expected to be named as finance minister.

Mr Alogoskoufis has previously called for tax cuts, investment incentives and market deregulation.

The new cabinet is expected to be sworn in on Wednesday.