The west African state of Liberia, torn apart by years of civil war and scarred by poverty, acquires a new, interim government Tuesday, two months after the departure of its former president Charles Taylor. It will be headed by a little-known businessman, Guyde Bryant, regarded as a neutral figure, who will preside over an administration made up of former Taylor loyalists, rebels, politicians and representatives of civil society. He will take over from Moses Blah, Taylor's vice president. The task of the new government will be to start the colossal task of rebuilding a country shattered by war, where 85 percent of the people live below the poverty line, and to prepare for general elections in 2005. The new government is the product of an agreement signed in Accra in August which brought to an end the conflict between the government and the rebels of the LURD (Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy) movement after three months of fighting around the capital Monrovia. It provided for the departure into exile in Nigeria of Taylor, who this weekend promised not to plot against the new interim government. The term of office of the interim administration will come to an end in January 2006. Under the Accra agreement its president, vice president and ministers will not be eligible to stand in the 2005 elections. The siege of Monrovia left hundreds dead, most of them civilians, and wrecked areas of the city. A west African peacekeeping force intervened to separate the combattants. Made up of troops from states belonging to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) it was transformed into a United Nations mission (MINUL) on October 1. The troops, currently deployed in and around Monrovia, are due to fan out into the country, 80 percent of which is under rebel control, where violent incidents are regularly reported. Under the terms of the 50-page ECOWAS-sponsored Accra agreement the 21 ministerial portfolios, 76 parliamentary seats and top jobs in 22 autonomous agencies are to be shared out between the protagonists according to a complex formula aimed at ensuing balance and a fair participation. Accordingly each of the armed factions -- the LURD, the smaller rebel Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL) and the government -- get five ministries. Six others are shared between 18 political parties, including Taylor's, and civil society. It is known that the government will be given defence and the interior; finance and justice will go to LURD; and MODEL will take foreign affairs and mining and energy. Each department will have two deputy ministers who will have to belong to groups other than that of the minister in charge. In the interim parliament, the armed groups will be awarded 12 seats each, political parties one each and civil society groups seven with the rest being distributed to the country's 15 counties. In all 600 people will be nominated before Bryant takes over from Blah. "For the moment almost no names are known, apart from Gyude Bryant," said one diplomat who did not want to be identified. "With 72 hours to go before the interim government is established some groups, MODEL in particular, are wondering who they are going to put into the jobs they have been given because they don't have anyone." There are further worries about the feasibility of disarming the fighters belonging to different groups and integrating them into a national army. **PHOTO CAPTION*** Former Liberia president Charles Taylor, whose shadow falls on the country's new interim government to be formed this week. (AFP/File)