Tunisia ’ s interior minister Hichem Mechichi has been appointed to form the next government , the president ’ s office said , amid political tensions among major parties in the North African country .
The 46 - year - old lawyer succeeds Elyes Fakhfakh , who resigned as prime minister earlier this month — but Mechichi was not one of the names proposed by the ruling political parties to President Kais Saied .
In a statement following Saturday’ s announcement , Mechichi said he would “ work to form a government that meets the expectations of all Tunisians ” .
Tunisia has been praised as a rare success story for democratic transition after the Arab Spring regional uprisings sparked by its 2011 revolution .
But its leaders have struggled to meet the expectations of the Tunisian people and the already fragile economy has been battered by the closure of the country’ s borders because of the COVID - 19 pandemic .
The disease has claimed around 50 lives and infected more than 1 , 400 people in Tunisia .
As well as being interior minister in the outgoing government , Mechichi has been a counsellor to President Saied , handling legal matters . He has previously been chief of staff at the transport ministry and also served in the social affairs ministry .
He now has a month to form a government .
At that point his choice will be put to a parliamentary vote of confidence and will need an absolute majority to succeed . Failing that , parliament will be dissolved and new elections organised within three months.
– Political divisions –
In the last elections held in October the Islamist- inspired Ennahdha party came top but fell far short of a majority and eventually agreed to join a coalition government .
Fakhfakh ’ s resignation on July 15 after less than five months in office threatened fresh political deadlock in the nation as it struggles with the economic fallout of the pandemic .
And it came as a political row deepened with Ennahdha over allegations against Fakhfakh of conflicts of interest.
Relations between the 47 - year - old outgoing premier and Ennahdha have been strained since the October legislative elections . Fakhfakh stepped down the same day the party filed a no - confidence motion against him .
Ennahdha had initially nominated an independent for premier but he failed to win the support of parliament , leading the president to name former finance minister Fakhfakh for the post .
Faced with the prospect of fresh elections , Ennahdha eventually agreed to join the coalition government .
( AFP )
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