afrol News, 24 February - Ivorian authorities have confirmed the formation of a new government that includes members of opposition parties and fewer ministers.

The presidential secretary general, Amadou Koussi-Ble, said the new government is formed of 27 ministers, though key posts like agriculture are still not confirmed. The previous government had 33 ministers.

Local reports said the former rebel leader Guillaume Soro has been appointed as prime minister while the key ministerial positions of finance, interior and defense remained unchanged in the new government. Reports said 16 of the 27 minister posts had been agreed upon by all parties, while the remaining 11 were under discussion government said further stating that the posts will be announced tomorrow.

President Laurent Gbagbo dissolved the government and the independent electoral commission of the West African nation on 12 February amid increasing tensions over the creation of a voters’ roll needed to hold elections, which have been delayed since 2005.

Mr Gbagbo sparked the crisis when he sacked the government and electoral commission, leading to opposition charges that he was seeking to delay elections, which had tentatively been set for early March.

He had accused the electoral commission chief Robert Beugre Mambe of fraud, saying he was stacking the voters' roll with opposition supporters.

Ivory Coast, the world’s biggest cocoa grower, was split into a government-ruled south and rebel-held north following a 2002 revolt.

The two sides signed a peace deal in 2007 known as the Ouagadougou accord, which resulted in a unity government and the appointment of rebel leader Guillaume Soro as prime minister.

By staff writer

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