Haitian President Rene Preval Sunday appointed Ericq Pierre, a senior adviser with the Washington-based Inter-American Development Bank, as the country's prime minister, according to news reaching Mexico City from Port-Au-Prince.

Pierre, 63, a Haitian economist, replaces head of cabinet Jacques Edouard Alexis, who was forced to resign on April 12 over rocketing food and fuel prices that sparked violent demonstrations.

Pierre's appointment must be ratified by Haiti's parliament, and it was not known yet when lawmakers would take up the matter.

Pierre has to provide copies of the birth certificate of his grandmother or grandfather to establish their Haitian nationality, if he wants to secure approval from the legislature.

In 1997, the economist was nominated by Preval as prime minister following Rosny Smarth's resignation, but the congress rejected the nomination as Pierre failed to provide the birth certificate documents.

Local Haitian news reports said that Preval met Pierre Sunday at the presidential residence to discuss such issues as the documents he must present to prove his nationality.

(Xinhua News Agency April 28, 2008)