New premier for crisis-hit Peru

Hannah Hennessy
BBC News, Lima

Mr Kuczynski has said he would like to be president one day

Peru's former finance minister has been sworn in as the new prime minister.

Pedro Pablo Kuczynski took office as head of the cabinet in a reshuffle aimed at ending the latest in a long line of political crises.

Mr Kuczynski - a political independent - says he will work to bring about union and consensus in his cabinet.

But he will have a tough job after years of division and scandal from the government, especially in the run-up to presidential elections next April.

President Alejandro Toledo named Mr Kuczynski after the resignation of Carlos Ferrero, who resigned last week.

He and his cabinet stepped down after Mr Toledo appointed close ally Fernando Olivera as foreign minister.

Presidential prize

Mr Ferrero and other leading politicians opposed the choice of Mr Olivera and also disagreed with him over a regional law legalising sub-cultivation of the raw material for cocaine.

Mr Kuczynski is an Oxford- and Princeton-educated former fund manager who has helped to turn Peru into one of the region's fastest-growing economies.

He has made no secret of his desire to be president of Peru one day.

President Toledo is barred from standing for re-election and April's presidential race is wide open.

And, although Mr Kuczynski has implied he will not run in the next election, this may well be his opportunity to improve his leadership qualities.