BRUSSELS (AFP) — Belgium's King Albert II named Flemish Christian Democrat Yves Leterme prime minister Thursday, more than nine months after general elections, the royal palace said in a statement.
"The king has accepted the resignation of Mr Verhofstadt in his functions as prime minister and his proposal to name Mr Yves Leterme prime minister," the statement said.
The move closes a troubling chapter in a political crisis sparked by the failure to form a government -- caused largely by differences over devolving powers to the regions -- but which could resurface in a few months.
Verhofstadt, who lost power in the June 10 election, had been acting in a caretaker capacity in effort to help end one of the worst political crises in the kingdom's history, but insisted he would step down on March 20.
Leterme and his new cabinet are due to be officially sworn in at 1200 GMT.
The five members of the new coalition finally sealed overnight the make up of the cabinet, Belga news agency reported.
It will comprise 15 ministers and seven state secretaries and largely resemble the interim government under Verhofstadt.
Leterme is expected to address parliament at around 1500 GMT, seeking the confidence of both houses, a process which will take 48 hours to complete.
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