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Guinea's military ruler named a 152-member transitional government at the weekend and said the presidential election would be held no later than June 27.

The National Transition Council includes academics, political parties, civil society and labour unions, according to a decree read on state-owned Radio Television Guineenne in Conakry, the capital, late on Sunday. The council is headed by unionist Hadja Rabiatou Serah Diallo.

Gen Sekouba Konate was named interim leader of Guinea in December after the then military leader, Capt Moussa Dadis Camara, was injured in an assassination attempt.

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Gen Konate’s junta and opposition leaders signed an accord on January 15 that provided for the establishment of a unity government and a national vote to be held within six months.

Interim president

"The transition president, interim president of the republic, sets the date of the first round of the presidential election for June 27," the Sunday decree said.

The main electoral commission proposed the date last month and said a second round should be held on July 18 if no candidate gets an absolute majority.

The commission also proposed that the campaign run from May 17 to June 26.

One of the transition council’s main tasks will be to revise the Guinean constitution and electoral code for the June vote .

The international community will be looking to see if the junta will keep its promise for a June handover, unlike in Cote d'Ivoire where the feuding parties have long delayed elections.

Gen Konate flew to the Libyan capital, Tripoli, at the weekend for talks with Muammar Gaddafi about the “hardening of the links of cooperation and friendship”, according to a statement . It was Gen Konate’s third visit abroad since he came to power, after trips to Mali and Gambia.