Algeria's new PM officially takes office

ALGIERS, March 12 (Xinhua) -- Algerian news.cn/en/tag/i0xngaj3163f76200c981b/index.html" target="_blank">new Prime Minister Noureddine Bedoui on Tuesday took news.cn/en/tag/i0xadkncf737c4bc164203/index.html" target="_blank">office to replace Ahmed Ouyahia who resigned earlier on Monday.

Bedoui took news.cn/en/tag/i0xadkncf737c4bc164203/index.html" target="_blank">office in a ceremony held at the government's headquarters in capital Algiers, as he shook hand with Ouyahia.

Bedoui's urgent mission is to chose news.cn/en/tag/i0xngaj3163f76200c981b/index.html" target="_blank">new cabinet staff with Deputy Prime Minister Ramtane Lamamra. The news.cn/en/tag/i0xngaj3163f76200c981b/index.html" target="_blank">new cabinet is supposed to be formed of technocrat ministers.

The cabinet reshuffle came as part of changes that Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika announced on Monday, including dropping his decision to seek a fifth term and postponing presidential election.

He also promised to organize an inclusive national conference to draft a news.cn/en/tag/i0xngaj3163f76200c981b/index.html" target="_blank">new constitution to establish a news.cn/en/tag/i0xngaj3163f76200c981b/index.html" target="_blank">new political system for the North African nation.

According to Bouteflika, all these decisions have been taken in response to the massive protest in recent weeks.