Tunisia has formed a new government of 24 ministers and a secretary of state, including 8 women.
Over two months after the dismissal of the Tunisian government, the new head of the Tunisian executive, Najla Bouden unveiled, Monday, the list of her new government.
During the swearing-in ceremony, the Tunisian leader said that “the fight against corruption will be the most important objective.”
Only two ministers from the previous government were reappointed including Foreign Affairs Minister, Othman Jarandi, and Education Minister, Fethi Sellaouti. The Interior Minister portfolio was entrusted to Taoufik Charfeddine, a lawyer close to Mr. Saied who had held this post in 2020, before being dismissed by former Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi.
The announcement of the new government comes a day after a new demonstration in Tunis against the emergency measures decided by Mr. Said, in which at least 6,000 people participated in the capital.
After two months of uncertainty, Said issued a decree on 22 September formalising the suspension of several chapters of the Constitution and introducing “exceptional measures,” supposedly temporary, while political reforms, including amendments to the 2014 Constitution, are carried out.
On Monday, the Tunisian president reaffirmed before the new government that the measures he has taken since July were aimed at “saving the state from the clutches of those who lurk at home and abroad, and those who see their office as a booty or a way to plunder public funds.”
“They have blithely looted the people’s money,” he said, pledging to lay the foundations “in the next few days” for a “national dialogue” to bring the country out of crisis.
HA/lb/abj/APA