Bolivia's interim president appoints transition cabinet

Bolivian President Eduardo Rodriguez appointed his transition cabinet prior to the anticipated elections, the local press reported Wednesday.

The caretaker government appointed 12 new ministers, approved two and left four portfolios pending, according to dispatches from La Paz, the administrative capital of Bolivia.

Rodriguez, who took office last Thursday following the resignation of President Carlos Mesa in early June, is expected to call elections to choose a new president and renew the congress within six months, as stipulated by the constitution.

Mesa resigned amid violent protests demanding a new constitution and the nationalization of the oil and gas industry.

Leaders of the demonstrators said they would give a brief truce to the acting president.

President of the congress Hormando Vaca Diez asked Monday for the resignation of all the legislators for the establishment a new legislature for the coming elections.

Rodriguez appointed former Ambassador to Uruguay Armando Loayza as foreign minister, economist Gonzalo Mendez as defense minister and journalist Ivan Aviles as secretary of the presidency.

Rodriguez said he also appointed a presidential delegate for political affairs to coordinate the parliamentary and electoral processes.

Rodriguez, the former head of the supreme court and third in line to become president, took office after the heads of both houses of the congress gave up their constitutional right to succeed the resigning president.

Source: Xinhua