Transition period to last one to three years

The prime minister of the Central African Republic (CAR), Abel Goumba, said on Tuesday that a transition period would last between one and three years, after which elections would be held to decide on a new government.

"One or three years are the extreme limits [of a transition period]. It may be halfway. I do not know," he told Radio France Internationale (RFI).

"First there must be a return to calm and then we must keep the house running. I do not think we can set in concrete the duration of the transition. All we know is that the transition will lead to elections," he said.

He was appointed prime minister of a transitional government by Francois Bozize, who seized power in a coup on 15 March. The 28-member transitional administration includes representatives of civil society and all political parties. Goumba said the composition of the administration was testimony of a determination to achieve unity in the CAR.

Goumba said that once security was restored, all foreign troops, which include Chadian soldiers and troops from the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC) would leave. He said it was unacceptable for foreign troops, even if they were Africans, to remain in the CAR for ever.