Mauritanian Prime Minister Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar tendered the resignation of his government on Saturday following the declaration of Sidi Ould Cheikh Abdellahi as president- elect, according to information from the neighboring West African country.

Boubacar's government will maintain a caretaker function until the new president is sworn-in on April 19, the Mauritanian Agency of Information reported.

Mauritania's Constitutional Council on Thursday announced the results of the second round of presidential elections, proclaiming Abdellahi as the winner to succeed out-going President Ely Ould Mohamed Vall.

The run-off was staged on Sunday, serving as the final stage of democratic reforms led by the military junta that ousted Ould Taya in August 2005.

Boubacar, whose government had been working to ensure the process of the election, said on Friday that the resignation was "only a matter of time."

He painted a positive outlook of Mauritania's economy during the transition period, saying the inflation rate fell from 12 percent in 2005 to 6 percent in 2006, while the overall balance of payments saw a surplus of over 322 million U.S. dollars compared with a deficit of 74 million in 2005. He claimed that the GDP was growing at a rate of 11.7 percent.

The prime minister said that the transition period had demonstrated that dialogue and negotiations were the best way to lay a real foundation for the country's development.

Source: Xinhua