A prominent headline in L'Inter (p. 1) suggests that Prime Minister Guillaume Soro is likely to retain his position in the next government.

According to the paper (p. 3), consultations are underway between President Ouattara and his allies to retain the former rebel leader at this post that Ouattara originally promised to give to the PDCI-RDA, the party of Henri Konan Bedie, during last year's presidential elections.

"After the December parliamentary elections that were held successfully, the RDR, my party, has obtained an absolute majority in the National Assembly," the paper quotes Ouattara as saying, adding that "The Speaker of the National Assembly will therefore come from the RDR party."

Regarding the post of the Prime Minister, President Ouattara said: "President Bedie and I are going to talk about this issue." He is also reported as saying, "Guillaume Soro is doing a good job. He is an excellent Prime Minister. We're going to see what is in the interest of the country and come out with the appropriate decisions."

This daily press review is compiled by the Information Section of the Public Affairs Office of the American Embassy in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire. The opinions expressed in these reviews in no way reflect the views of the United States Government and are presented for informational purposes only. The accuracy of reports contained in this summary has not been confirmed by the Embassy.