CONAKRY: Guinea’s new prime minister Ibrahima Kassory Fofana has unveiled his government without making major changes to the cabinet of his predecessor who quit after deadly protests over local elections, state media reported Sunday.
While the defence, foreign affairs and justice ministers remain in their posts, the economy portfolio has been handed to newcomer Mamadi Camara, Guinea’s ex-ambassador to South Africa, according to a decree read out on state media.
At his official nomination on May 24, Fofana had acknowledged the current “difficult relationships with certain social and political partners”.
An economist by training, Fofana replaced Mamady Youla who resigned on May 17 following demonstrations against the results of February local elections, which were won by the ruling party.
Opposition leaders had decried the vote — the first of its kind since a military dictatorship ended a decade ago — as unfair and fraudulent.
At least a dozen people were killed in the violence.
President Alpha Conde had promised a “great ministerial reshuffle” to quell the unrest and brought in Fofana, a former political opponent turned ally.
“We will judge Prime Minister Kassory Fofana on his actions,” said opposition leader Cellou Dalein Diallo last week.
“Will it be his mission to reinforce bad practices, namely corruption, impunity, injustice and encourage electoral fraud, by following the government line of Alpha Conde?”
Parliamentary elections are scheduled for September despite the opposition’s rejection of the local ballot results.
