Premier outlines priorities

Prime Minister Anicet Georges Dologuele, who was reappointed in October following elections, has placed economic reform and restructuring the armed forces at the top of his list of priorities. In a recent interview with Radio France Internationale, he acknowledged that in order to succeed, state authority must be restored. "We have been through a series
of crises which slowly weakened state authority to the point that one has the impression that everyone does what they want," he said. "So we must completely overhaul the administration." Asked how he would restructure the army, Dologuele replied that with the upcoming departure of the UN mission, CAR would move to the "practical phase". This meant demobilisation, a recruitment plan and reconstructing the barracks. On wage arrears, he admitted civil servants were owed 12 months back pay. An anti-corruption drive would be launched, starting with traders and public workers who were known to be corrupt and the policy would be consolidated once the judicial system was put in motion.