Guinea's Conde Names New PM

Guinea's President Alpha Conde on Saturday appointed a new prime minister, he said in a decree, after being sworn in earlier this week for a controversial new five-year term.

Mamady Youla, an economist who has worked both for private sector firms and the government, replaces Mohamed Said Fofana, who stepped down Wednesday, according to the decree that was read out on public television.

Youla, 54, has been tasked with forming a government focused on job creation, improving the lives of young people and kickstarting an economic recovery in the low-income country, the government said in a statement.

The fact that Youla has worked for private sector companies "sends a strong signal to national and international financial decision makers," the statement said.

Youla has also worked for the Central Bank of the Republic of Guinea.

Conde, 77, was re-elected in controversial October polls and sworn in for a second term on Monday.

He had already been sworn in at a more elaborate ceremony a week earlier, but was asked to re-read his oath as he had omitted the pledge to "uphold the law" at the first time of asking.

The constitutional court last month formally confirmed Conde's re-election with 57.8 percent of the vote, dismissing opposition claims of vote rigging and fraud.

Appeals lodged by several of his rivals calling for the vote to be annulled were rejected by the court, which said they lacked proof or had no bearing on the results.

Speaking to AFP on Saturday, Cellou Dalein Diallo, the country's main opposition leader, welcomed Youla's nomination.

"He is a brilliant chap who is very competent, especially in economics," he said.