Gabonese president names new PM

LIBREVILLE - Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba on Monday appointed Alain Claude Bilie By Nze as the new prime minister and head of government, according to a presidential decree read on national television by the Secretary General of the Gabonese Presidency Jean-Yves Teale.

Bilie By Nze is responsible for forming a new government. He will replace Rose Christiane Ossouka Raponda who was appointed the same day as vice president of the Gabonese Republic, a post vacant for more than three years.

Alain Claude Bilie By Nze, 56, held the position of Deputy Prime Minister in charge of Energy and Water Resources. He had been working alongside Ali Bongo Ondimba since March 2012 when he was promoted to political adviser and spokesperson for the Presidency of the Republic.