Guinea-Bissau’s President Jose Mario Vaz named a new prime minister late on Tuesday, appointing Augusto Antonio Artur Da Silva by decree after the previous PM resigned in a bid to end the political crisis.

The new prime minister’s first job will be to organise fresh parliamentary elections in the coming months.

The impoverished West African nation has been in the throes of a power struggle since August 2015, when Vaz sacked then prime minister Domingos Simoes Pereira.

Vaz and Pereira – who heads the ruling African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde (PAIGC) party of which the president is a member – have accused each other of blocking the implementation of an accord reached in 2016.

The agreement had envisaged naming a new prime minister “who had the president’s trust”, and who would maintain his position until elections to be held in 2018.

The appointment of former foreign minister and fellow PAIGC member Da Silva as prime minister comes two weeks after the resignation of predecessor Umaro Sissoco Embalo, who declared that “if the president does not trust me, I won’t wait to be fired”.

Embalo had been in the post for less than a year and had lost the support of many within the ruling party.

Tuesday’s presidential decree said that the appointment of Da Silva was part of “ongoing efforts to find a definitive solution to political-constitutional crisis which has hit the country in recent years”.

Under the current constitution, the choice of prime minister rests with the ruling party.

But because the PAIGC has lost its parliamentary majority, Vaz has sought backing from MPs from the second party, the Party of Social Renovation, along with 15 rebels from the ruling party.

Guinea-Bissau, one of the world’s poorest countries, has been plagued by military coups and instability since its independence from Portugal in 1974.

At its latest summit last month, the ECOWAS west African bloc urged Guinea-Bissau’s leaders to resolve the crisis within two months, or else face sanctions. </s> James Marape sworn in as Papua New Guinea's prime minister

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (AP) — Former Papua New Guinea Finance Minister James Marape has been sworn in as the country's new prime minister, following the resignation of Peter O'Neill last week.

Local media reported that the PNG parliament voted overwhelmingly for Marape on Thursday.

Marape told reporters that he doesn't have all the answers for the country, but would do his best to mobilize the talents of members of government, the opposition, and "more importantly, talents from the greater Papua New Guineans out there."

O'Neill resigned last Sunday after seven years on the job. His announcement followed weeks of high-profile defections from his government to the opposition. </s> Papua New Guinea's Parliament has elected James Marape as new prime minister after outgoing leader Peter O'Neill resigned following weeks of political turmoil..

Marape, who quit as finance minister in April over a gas deal with France's Total he called too generous to the oil major, was the front-runner sources said ahead of the vote. He was elected by an overwhelming majority.

Political instability is not unusual in the poverty-stricken but resource-rich country, but Marape's defection from the government earlier tapped into growing concern over governance and resource benefits not reaching the poor.

Those concerns ultimately led to O'Neill's official resignation on Wednesday. </s> PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea — Former Papua New Guinea Finance Minister James Marape has been sworn in as the country’s new prime minister, following the resignation of Peter O’Neill last week.

Local media reported that the PNG parliament voted overwhelmingly for Marape on Thursday.

Marape told reporters that he doesn’t have all the answers for the country, but would do his best to mobilize the talents of members of government, the opposition, and “more importantly, talents from the greater Papua New Guineans out there.”

O’Neill resigned last Sunday after seven years on the job. His announcement followed weeks of high-profile defections from his government to the opposition.

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> Peruvian President Martin Vizcarra has sworn in actor and former Culture Minister Salvador del Solar as his new prime minister in a cabinet reshuffle aimed at shoring up his slipping approval ratings.

The move on Monday comes days after former Prime Minister Cesar Villanueva stepped down amid calls for a government shakeup.

Vizcarra chose to keep Finance Minister Carlos Oliva and Energy and Mines Minister Francisco Ismodes in their posts but changed eight other ministers, including the production and agriculture ministers.

Del Solar, 48, has degrees in law and international relations but is best known for his roles in Spanish-language films and television series, including a turn as a priest in Netflix's drugs drama, Narcos.

He served as Peru's culture minister for about a year under former-President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who resigned last March amid a region-wide corruption scandal.

Vizcarra, a former vice president, was sworn in as president shortly after.

Peruvian presidents often reshuffle their cabinets when approval ratings fall, though all recent presidents have ended their terms widely unpopular.

Vizcarra's approval rating rose to a high of 66 percent in January after he confronted the opposition-controlled Congress to push for anti-corruption measures, which had passed easily in a national referendum in December.

Corruption is seen as rife in Peru, where the last five former presidents have either been jailed on corruption charges or are currently under investigation for fraud.

Opposition leader Keiko Fujimori is also embroiled in an ongoing corruption investigation.

In February, Vizcarra faced criticism for travelling to Spain and Portugal on a state visit instead of visiting regions affected by flooding and landslides.

His approval rating dropped to 56 percent in March.

Despite bouts of political turmoil, Peru has been one of Latin America's most stable and fastest-growing economies this century. </s> By RIVONALA RAZAFISON

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Madagascar President Hery Rajaonarimampianina has resigned ahead the November 7 presidential vote.

The Constitution requires the incumbent leader to quit office 60 days before the vote if seeking re-election.

“Since I am candidate, I have to comply with the law,” he said when addressing the nation on Friday evening.

The country’s High Constitutional Court approved his resignation.

Senate leader Mr Rivo Rakotovao will be the acting head of state until the inauguration of the next president in January.

At his last Cabinet meeting on Thursday, President Rajaonarimampianina named new army generals and appointed new ambassadors to Russia and China.

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He also met the African Union High Representative for Silencing the Guns in Africa, Algerian diplomat Mr Ramtane Lamamra at State House Iavoloha.

Before announcing his resignation on Friday he held talks with the new International Monetary Fund representative in Madagascar, Mr Marc Gérard.

Mr Rajaonarimampianina is the first president to resign ahead of an election following the adoption of new electoral laws in 2010.

He faces 35 presidential aspirants among them three former head of states.

On Thursday, 16 candidates led by veteran leader Didier Ratsiraka, said they wanted the November 7 election postponed. </s> Peru's Prime Minister Cesar Villanueva has stepped down, the government said on Friday, amid calls for President Martin Vizcarra to shake up his government and revive falling approval ratings.

Villanueva, the prime minister for the past year, handed in his letter of resignation to Vizcarra, the president's office said in a statement, confirming media reports earlier on Friday.

The statement did not say the resignation was accepted but said Vizcarra thanked Villanueva for his services.

A new prime minister has not yet been chosen but two government sources who asked not to be named told Reuters news agency that Justice Minister Vicente Zeballos was under consideration for the position.

Vizcarra will likely make several cabinet changes to revamp his team and shore up slipping support, the sources said.

A survey by Datum Internacional published in local daily Peru 21 on Thursday found Vizcarra's approval rating dropped seven percentage points from February to 56 percent.

Presidents in Peru often reshuffle the cabinet when their approval ratings fall, though all recent presidents have ended their terms widely unpopular.

Vizcarra's approval rating rose to a high of 66 percent in January after he confronted the opposition-ruled Congress and pushed for passage of measures aimed at fighting corruption which had passed easily in a national referendum in December.

In the past week, he has faced criticism that he has not done enough to tackle other problems, and for travelling to Spain and Portugal on a state visit instead of visiting regions affected by flooding and landslides.

A former vice president, Vizcarra took office a year ago to replace Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who resigned after a corruption scandal.

Peru is the world's second-biggest copper producer and one of Latin America's most stable economies. </s> LIMA (Reuters) - Peru’s Prime Minister Cesar Villanueva has stepped down, the government said on Friday, amid calls for President Martin Vizcarra to shake up his government and revive falling approval ratings.

FILE PHOTO: Peruvian Prime Minister Cesar Villanueva leaves the Congress after asking for the approval of four anti-graft bills in Lima, Peru September 19, 2018. REUTERS/Mariana Bazo

Villanueva, the prime minister for the past year, handed in his letter of resignation to Vizcarra, the president’s office said in a statement, confirming media reports earlier on Friday. The statement did not say the resignation was accepted but said Vizcarra thanked Villanueva for his services.

A new prime minister has not yet been chosen but two government sources who asked not to be named told Reuters that Justice Minister Vicente Zeballos was under consideration for the position.

Vizcarra will likely make several cabinet changes to revamp his team and shore up slipping support, the sources said.

A survey by Datum Internacional published in local daily Peru 21 on Thursday found Vizcarra’s approval rating dropped seven percentage points from February to 56 percent.

Presidents in Peru often reshuffle the cabinet when their approval ratings fall, though all recent presidents have ended their terms widely unpopular.

Vizcarra’s approval rating rose to a high of 66 percent in January after he confronted the opposition-ruled Congress and pushed for passage of measures aimed at fighting corruption which had passed easily in a national referendum in December.

In the past week he has faced criticism that he has not done enough to tackle other problems, and for traveling to Spain and Portugal on a state visit instead of visiting regions affected by flooding and landslides.

A former vice president, Vizcarra took office a year ago to replace Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who resigned after a graft scandal.

Peru is the world’s No.2 copper producer and one of Latin America’s most stable economies. </s> SYDNEY--Papua New Guinea has elected influential lawmaker James Marape to succeed Peter O'Neill as prime minister.

Mr. O'Neill, who led the resource-rich but tumultuous Pacific nation for seven years, said Sunday that he was stepping down following weeks of political turmoil and government defections over his handling of various budget and health crises.

Mr. Marape was among those who defected to political opponents over a contentious multibillion-dollar gas project signed in April with France's Total and America's Exxon Mobil. He returned to the ruling coalition after Mr. O'Neill's resignation.
President José Mário Vaz appoints Artur Silva as Prime Minister of Guinea-Bissau, succeeding Umaro Sissoco Embaló, who resigned on January 16th.