Transition cabinet and state secretaries named

Guinea-Bissau's National Transition Council (CNT) on Thursday named a new cabinet of 11 ministers and five states secretaries, and asked Prime Minister Artur Sanha to present the list to interim President Henrique Rosa to issue a decree confirming the new government.

A cabinet list released in the capital, Bissau, included Joao Jose Monteiro, a sociologist, as Foreign Minister and retained Filomena Tipote who served as Defence Minister in the deposed government of Kumba Yala, in her post.

Abubacar Demba Dahaba was named as the country's Minister of Economy and Finance and Brig-Gen Manuel Nandinga who was Tipote's adviser at the Defence Ministry, was named Minister of Internal Administration. Usna Quadé, was named minister for fishing.

The CNT, which is the interim parliament, comprises 25 military officers who seized power in a bloodless coup last month and representatives of all but one of Guinea's 24 political parties and eight civil society groups.

Soldiers seized power in Guinea-Bissau on 14 September and swore in businessman Rosa on 28 September to lead an interim civilian administration until fresh presidential elections can be held in a year's time.

Before swearing in Rosa, the soldiers signed an agreement with 22 other political and civil society groups, setting up a 56-member National Transition Council to serve in place of a parliament until legislative elections are held after six months.