Democratic Republic of Congo unveils new government after seven-month delay

TheDemocratic Republic of Congoannounced a coalitiongovernmentMonday, seven monthsafterthe inauguration ofnewPresident Felix Tshisekedi.

"Thegovernmentis finally here. The president has signed the decree and we will begin work soon," Prime Minister Sylvestre Ilunga told reporters before the members of thenewgovernmentwere announced by the president's spokesman.

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The power-sharing agreement will see the majority of the 66 members drawnfrom former president Joseph Kabila's Common Front for Congo.

Tshisekedi's coalition Direction For Change was expected to account for most of the remainder of the posts.

Kabila presided over sub-Saharan Africa's biggest country for nearly two decades and still commands widespread support.

Forming the coalition had taken time as both sides had to "remove everything that could be an obstacle to the functioning of thegovernment", said Ilunga.

The executive will have a female vice prime minister, minister for foreign affairs and minister for planning, Ilunga said.

There are a total of five vice prime ministers.

"Eighty-three per cent of men and 17 per cent of women" make up thegovernment," Ilunga said.

"This percentage is still feeble but it is balanced by the importance of the portfolios attributed to women."

Around three-quarters of members were serving ingovernmentfor the first time, he added, hailing this as an "important innovation".

Tshisekedi emerged victorious in elections that marked theDemocratic Republic of Congo's first peaceful transition of power since the mineral-rich nation gained independence from Belgium in 1960.

The unstable country's politics remain overshadowed by Kabila, who amassed extensive cloutafter18 years in power.