FRENCH PRESIDENT MACRON ACCEPTS PM ATTAL'S RESIGNATION

PARIS, July 17 (Bernama-Xinhua) -- French President Emmanuel Macron has accepted Prime Minister Gabriel Attal's resignation, but asked him to stay as the head of a caretaker government until the establishment of a new administration, French presidential office announced on Tuesday, reported Xinhua.

"For this period to end as soon as possible, it is up to the Republican forces to work together to build unity around projects and actions in the service of the French people," Elysee said in a press release.

As a caretaker government, Attal and his governmental team can only oversee the normal operation of administrations, and intervene in the event of an emergency.

Succeeding Elisabeth Borne, Attal was nominated prime minister on Jan 9 at the age of 34, becoming the youngest to hold the position in the history of the Fifth Republic.

Attal submitted his resignation to Macron on July 8 after the ruling party failed to secure a majority in the snap legislative elections. However, Macron asked him to remain in the post "for the moment" to ensure the country's stability.

On Thursday, the elected deputies are expected to choose the speaker of the new National Assembly. According to the French electoral laws, ministers in office cannot cast their ballots. But with the resignation accepted, Attal and his ministers, who were elected deputies, now can vote in the speaker election.

The winner alliance of the legislative elections, the New Popular Front (NFP), has not yet been able to propose a candidate to be the next prime minister. Macron's decision is seen as an attempt to secure votes for a centrist or right-wing speaker of the National Assembly.

In the two rounds of legislative elections held on June 30 and July 7, Macron's centrist coalition finished second with 163 seats, trailing the left-wing parties' alliance, the NFP, which secured a relative majority with 182 seats in the 577-member National Assembly.

The French president announced the dissolution of the National Assembly on June 9 and called for new legislative elections after his Renaissance party coalition suffered a heavy defeat in the European Parliament elections.

-- BERNAMA-XINHUA