Tunisia’s premier-designate called for “sacrifices” as parliament convened on Friday to vote on a cabinet line-up he has proposed to tackle pressing economic and security challenges.
It is likely that a majority of parliament’s 217 members will vote for the line-up, making Youssef Chahed, at 40, the country’s youngest prime minister since it won independence from France in 1956.
The prime minister-designate addressed the assembly on Friday morning ahead of the vote of confidence, which is not expected before 2000 GMT.
Parliament also took a midday break before resuming deliberations at 1400 GMT.
Chahed noted that members of his government will each also issue a declaration of interests within 15 days.
He stressed the “necessity” of his proposed unity government to address mounting economic challenges not resolved since the 2011 revolution.
“We have until now been unable to realize the objectives of the revolution. Our youth have lost hope, the trust of citizens in the state has decreased,” he said.
“We are all responsible” and “will all have to make sacrifices”.
Chahed, whose speech was met with resounding applause, said his government would give priority to fighting corruption and “terrorism”.
If his government is approved, Chahed will also have to address security after a wave of terrorist attacks, including two that killed dozens of foreign tourists last year.
Chahed was appointed by President Beji Caid Essebsi early this month after lawmakers passed a vote of no confidence in Habib Essid’s government following just 18 months in office.
On Saturday, Chahed — a member of Essebsi’s Nidaa Tounes party — said he would head a 27-member cabinet which will also include 14 ministers of state, eight women “in important” positions and “14 young” ministers.
The premier-designate said that the line-up would remain unchanged despite reservations among several allied parties.
Chahed, a liberal who was local affairs minister before his nomination, should get around 60 votes from Nidaa Tounes.
He should also be able to count on the votes of 69 lawmakers from the Islamist Ennahda party, the largest in parliament.
Rached Ghannouchi’s party said on Sunday it had reservations about the line-up, in which it has three ministers, but said these would not prevent it from giving the proposed cabinet its vote of confidence.
Chahed may also win votes from the 24 lawmakers of the Al-Horra bloc, created after a split from Nidaa Tounes, and the 10 representatives of the liberal Afek Tounes party.
The vote on the new cabinet comes after Tunisia in January witnessed its worst social unrest since the 2011 uprising.
Source: AFP
