Algeria has appointed finance minister Ayman Benabderrahmane as prime minister | Middle East News

Ayman Benabderrahmane, 60, has been tasked with forming a new government after parliamentary elections.

Algerian President has appointed Finance Minister Ayman Benabderrahmane as Prime Minister, asking him to form a new government as the country seeks to address the financial crisis.

On Wednesday, the president announced the election of a 60-year-old candidate to replace Abdelaziz Djerad, who resigned last week following a June 12 parliamentary election.

“Benabderrahmane has been appointed prime minister and has been accused of negotiating with political parties and institutions to form a government immediately,” the president said.

A member of OPEC Algeria has been in financial crisis due to a shortage of oil and gas, a major source of revenue for the state, which has led to a slowdown in trade.

The problem was exacerbated during the COVID-19 epidemic, which forced the government to delay several development projects.

The North African country of 45 million people has not been able to diversify its resources away from oil and gas despite efforts to establish a non-electricity sector.

Unemployment is more than 12 percent, according to World Bank figures.

Elected in December 2019, President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has repeatedly called for political and economic reforms following mass protests demanding the resignation of a dictator who led Abdelaziz Bouteflika to step down in April 2019.

On Wednesday, Tebboune, who had previously expressed dissatisfaction with Djerad and his prime minister, thanked him for leading the government in a “crisis”, especially the coronavirus epidemic.