ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast (AP) — Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara has named a new 29-member cabinet, putting his prime minister in charge of the finance ministry and keeping the same officials in key defense posts.
Ouattara dissolved the Cabinet last week after an apparent feud between his party and the PDCI, a member of his governing coalition. The party is led by former President Henri Konan Bedie, whose support was crucial in helping Ouattara win the November 2010 presidential election.
Ouattara's secretary-general read a decree Thursday announcing the Cabinet. It said the PDCI's Daniel Kablan Duncan, who was named prime minister Wednesday, will also serve as finance minister. Former finance minister Charles Koffi Diby will now be in charge of foreign affairs, while Paul Koffi Koffi and Hamed Bakoyoko will remain in charge of the defense and interior ministries, respectively.
