(Repeats Feb 26 story with no changes to text) By Saliou Samb CONAKRY, Feb 26 (Reuters) - A year to the day after he was named Guinea's prime minister on a wave of popular protests during a bloody general strike, Lansana Kouyate now faces a rising tide of anger from dissatisfied citizens. Critics say little has changed in the impoverished West African country, which still suffers soaring prices, persistent electricity blackouts and endless intrigue surrounding President Lansana Conte, a diabetic chain smoker in his 70s. Even more galling for families of 137 people killed in the 2007 strike -- most shot dead by Conte's police -- an official inquiry into their killings has yet to get off the ground. "Nothing has progressed. It's a terrible situation because in the end I get the impression my son died for nothing," said Abdoulaye Diallo, clutching a photograph of 21-year-old Massoudou, who was shot in the head during last year's strike. Unions called a general strike in January 2007 in protest at the 23-year rule of Conte, who has governed the former French colony with an iron grip since he seized power in 1984. Kouyate, a respected career diplomat, was named on Feb. 26, 2007 as a consensus premier acceptable to both Conte and the unions. He got enhanced powers to end the political crisis in the world's top exporter of bauxite, the raw ore of aluminium. Guinea's franc <GNF=> initially doubled in value against the dollar as Kouyate's government began reforming the mining sector and renewed ties with donors, leading to a long-awaited $75-million, three-year IMF loan deal in December. But the honeymoon is now over. NEW STRIKE THREAT Union leaders frustrated at the slow pace of reform called off a general strike at the last minute in January, but have threatened a new one from March 31 unless they see progress on key issues, including the inquiry into last year's killings. Conte's administration refused to contemplate an international inquiry, and even a domestic probe has dragged. "We were sworn in last December, and we were only invited to go to the prime minister's office last week to submit our budget proposal for the inquiry," said a member of the investigating commission who declined to be named. Conte's presidency, which critics say is controlled by a small loyalist clique, has chipped away at Kouyate's authority. A December presidential decree reassigning control of government business to a Conte ally was overturned only after Kouyate went to meet the ailing president. Days later Conte replaced Kouyate's information minister with another ally, prompting angry protests on the streets of the capital Conakry. Meanwhile, residents complain of a worsening economic situation including frequent water and power cuts in some areas. The franc has steadily weakened over the past six months, and food prices, a key factor in rumbling discontent that led up to last year's violent strike, have resumed their upwards march. Official figures show inflation falling by more than half in a year to 15 percent. But a 50 kg sack of rice that cost 85,000 francs (then $25) last June now costs 150,000 francs ($35). "Everything has got expensive again. They have talked about change but we are very disappointed by what is happening now," said Mohamed Dioude Dioulde, a market trader in Conakry. "If things go on like this, we would have been better to have kept the old government." (Writing by Alistair Thomson; Editing by Pascal Fletcher)
