Prime minister sworn in

Rwanda's immediate former prime minister, Bernard Makuza, was sworn in on Wednesday after President Paul Kagame reappointed him to serve as the country’s first premier following multiparty elections. Makuza's appointment was made according the country's new constitution, which requires that a member of the Hutu majority serve as his prime minister to ensure power sharing between the Hutu and the minority Tutsi. Prior to parliamentary elections held at the end of September, Makuza had been prime minister for four years. Initially, he was a member of the banned main opposition party, the Movement for a Democratic Republic. Upon his being sworn in, Makuza announced that he and Kagame would name a cabinet within the next 10 days, another constitutional requirement. He said the government would formulate a plan to encourage economic growth. A close ally of Kagame, Makuza was ambassador to Germany before his appointment as prime minister in 1999.