CONAKRY: Guinea’s prime minister stepped down and handed in the resignation of his cabinet on Wednesday as part of a transition to a new government after elections, a statement from the office of President Alpha Conde said.

Guineans had been expecting the move after Conde referred to the formation of a new government in his New Year speech.

“I have just presented the resignation of my government to the president of the republic... He thanked the members of the government for all their efforts during these three years,” Mohamed Said Fofana was quoted as saying. The resignation comes two days after Guinea’s new intake of lawmakers entered parliament for its first session following widely-contested elections in September, with former banker Claude Kory Koundiano elected president of the chamber.