Rome  -  Italian prime minister-elect Silvio Berlusconi said Wednesday he will not publicly name the members of his cabinet, until he is formally asked to form a government by the country's head-of-state, President Giorgio Napolitano.

"I think I've already gone too far with mentioning names of ministers," said Berlusconi following a meeting with his centre-right allies to discuss the cabinet's composition.

Berlusconi told reporters he would propose a list of ministers to Napolitano, only after he had received a mandate from the president.

"I therefore ask you to refrain from pressing me on making public the names of the future ministers," he told them.

Berlusconi had already indicated some of his preferences for cabinet posts ahead of Wednesday's meeting with allies Umberto Bossi, leader of the anti-immigration Northern League, and Gianfranco Fini, who heads the post-fascist National Alliance.

Berlusconi on Tuesday had tapped the European Union's current top justice official, Franco Frattini, as possible foreign minister - a position Frattini held in 2002-2004 under a previous centre-right government.

The billionaire-turned-politician politician also said he intends to include in his cabinet Giulio Tremonti, who acted as economy minister in previous Berlusconi governments.

"We will have half the number compared with the outgoing government (of centre-left Prime Minister Romano Prodi) - a total of 60 members including ministers, deputy ministers and under- secretaries," Berlusconi said Wednesday.

He also has said he plans to appoint 12 ministers in his government, including "at least" four women.

According to Italian media reports, a likely female candidate as justice minister is lawyer Giulia Bongiorno, a member of former prime minister Giulio Andreotti's defence team in several Mafia-related trials.

The National Alliance's Ignazio La Russa was also being touted as possible defence minister. His party leader, Fini, was tipped as speaker of parliament.

Berlusconi's centre-right coalition triumphed in polls held Sunday and Monday, emerging with a clear majority in both houses of parliament - the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.

Berlusconi has said clearing piles of rubbish from the streets of Naples will be his government's first priority.

He also said the first cabinet meeting, once the new government has been sworn in, will be held in the southern port city.

Both houses of the newly elected parliament need to convene and choose their relative speakers, before Napolitano, can formally ask Berlusconi to form a government. This is expected to take place by the first week of May

The new government will then need to face a vote of confidence in parliament. (dpa)