The 42-seat House of Representatives on Friday appointed, by a majority vote, Bosnia and Herzegovina's new Council of Ministers led by Prime Minister Vjekoslav Bevanda, after the country had been without the state government since general elections in October 2010.

Of the 34 MPs attending the session, 26 voted for the new government, seven were against and one deputy abstained, Hina news agency reported.

The make-up of the new Council of Ministers is the result of an agreement between six major political parties on 28 December 2011.

Prime Minister Bevanda and Justice Minister Barisa Colak come from the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ BiH).

Foreign Minister Zlatko Lagumdzija is the leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), perceived as a predominantly Bosniak party. SDP official Damir Hadzic is the new minister of transport and
communications.

Representatives of another Bosniak party, the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), Muhamed Ibrahimovic and Sadik Ahmetovic are the Defence Minister and the Security Minister respectively.

Officials of two major Serb parties -- the SNSD and the SDS -- fill the positions of the finance minister, the civil affairs minister and the foreign trade minister. Nikola Spiric of the SNSD is Finance Minister, Sredoje Novic of the SNSD is Civil Affairs Minister, and Mirko Sarovic of the SDS is Foreign Trade Minister.

HDZ 1990 official Damir Ljubic is the minister for human rights and refugees.