The announcement came as Niger's civilian opposition gave its backing to Major Wanke's military government which took power after the assassination last week of President Ibrahim Bare Mainassara.

The new president "reappointed, for the transitional period, Prime Minister Ibrahim Mayaki," national radio said, quoting from a communique issued by the all-military National Reconciliation Council, now ruling the west African state.

President Mainassara himself took power in a 1996 coup

The decision was reached after consultation with Niger's political parties and was unanimously approved, it said.

The Council also promised that "the army will withdraw from political life" and lifted a ban on the activities of political parties which had been announced by Mr Mayaki shortly after President Mainassara's death, the radio said.

Major Wanke, head of the elite presidential guard which assassinated the president, was declared head of state by the Council on Sunday, for a nine-month transition period.

The BBC West Africa Correspondent says there is general scepticism in Niger about assurances from the military government, and that the next nine months will be a test of the present regime's intentions.

Opposition backs elections

Niger's 11 civilian opposition parties on Monday urged their followers to support the military government's promised transition programme to transfer power to a civilian government in nine months.

In its first reaction since President Mainassara's assassination, the country's opposition alliance said it "calls on its militants to work for the success of the democratic transition and the holding of free and fair elections."

A statement from the opposition alliance did not condemn the military's takeover of power and suspension of constitutional rule.