Tunisia: Elyes Fakhfekh Tasked to Form Cabinet

President Kais Saied Monday picked former finance minister Elyes Fakhfekh to form a cabinet after the parliament early this month rejected a first government led by Habib Jemli, an independent named by Ennahda, the leading party in the legislature.

Fakhfekh is chosen for the Prime Minister job after Jemli failed to win the vote of confidence.

Tunisia has been without cabinet since October following the legislatives. Jemli struggled to lure the political establishment in his proposed cabinet. He finally opted for a government of independent personalities and technocrats.

Fakhfekh, in a first meeting with President Saied last Saturday, presented his vision on the priorities and challenges facing the country, as well as his perceptions regarding the action and the lineup of the next government.

If the former finance and tourism minister has received the state backing, he is set to face rejection from 9alb Tounes (Heart of Tunisia), party of presidential candidate Nabil Karoui.

The party, the second force in the Parliament, is against Fakhfekh’s nomination on the grounds that the nominal Premier will not make the right nominations at state top positions namely heads and delegates of governorates who are in favor of its electoral promises, Tunisie Numerique reports.