Tunisia’s Prime Minister Dismisses 5 Ministers

SMA NEWS – TUNIS

Tunisian Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi decided to remove five ministers from their duties pending a decision on the fate of the government reshuffle that has been suspended for weeks.

The premiership issued a statement announcing that Mechichi dismissed the ministers of justice, industry, energy and mines, sports, state property, and agriculture.

The PM instructed a number of ministers to act as interim heads of these ministries, pending the completion of the cabinet reshuffle procedures, according to which the new ministers obtained the confidence of the parliament.

The cabinet confirmed that it would remain open to all solutions that would complete the ministerial amendment so that the ministers could carry out their duties within the constitution.

“Mechichi remains open to all solutions to ensure the completion of the ministerial reshuffle procedures so that ministers can carry out their duties within the framework of the constitution,” it added.

Tunisia is experiencing a complex constitutional crisis after President Kais Saied rejected to swear-in the new ministers.

In January, the parliament passed a cabinet reshuffle that included 11 new ministers, but Saied refused to approve this amendment, saying that four of the appointments were believed to be involved in corruption cases or have a conflict of interest.

The President also objected to the measures that accompanied the amendment because he believes they lack a constitutional basis.

Meanwhile, MP Mohamed Ammar considered Mechichi’s decision as hasty, pointing out that the issue is between the two executive authorities.

Ammar, who was elected as president of the Democratic Bloc, said that the country is currently going through a “real war” and the prime minister should have made some adjustments and present them to the president, or the ministers should have had the “courage” to quit.

The lawmaker stressed that the only solution Mechichi has is to cooperate with the president, describing the dismissal as “absurd”.