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ALGIERS, June 11 (AFP) - Former minister Karim Younes was Monday elected speaker of Algeria's lower house, the National Assembly, defeating his Islamist rival Mohamed Djahid Younsi by 271 votes to 52.

Younes, 54, who was minister of professional training in the first government of Prime Minister Ali Benflis (August 2000 - June 2002), headed the list in Algiers of the National Liberation Front (FLN) in the May 30 general elections which the party won with an absolute majority of seats.

Benflis, reappointed as premier by President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, was to present his new government within the next few days.- Nampa-AFP