Tunisian Prime Minister-designate Youssef Chahed named his new government on Saturday, appointing 24 ministers, including eight women, and keeping the previous foreign and defence ministers in their posts.
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Keeping their posts in the cabinet were Interior Minister Hedi Majdou, Defense Minister Farhat Horchani and Foreign Affairs Minister Khemais Jhinaoui, a move seen to keep continuity in the fight against militants.
Other challenges facing the future Tunisian government include the growing Islamist violence that hit hard the country’s tourism sector past year.
“We will not go as far as to block the government”, Harouni said, adding that the Ennahda parliamentary group “will announce its precise position later” on the confidence vote.
Chahed also nominated Mohamed Trabelsi as minister of social affairs and Abid Briki, a former union official, as minister of public functions.
The proposed cabinet, which parliament must approve, includes 26 ministers and 14 junior ministers, five of them younger than 35, from several political parties and independents.
Five parties support Chahed, including the two largest his own Nida Tounes, founded by the president, and the Islamist Ennahda which together hold a comfortable majority in parliament.
Chahed held consultations for over two weeks with representatives of the main political parties, unions and employers organizations and members of the civil society.
The new government will focus on fighting against terrorism and corruption, increasing investment and development and protecting environment, Chahed said.
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Chahed came to politics after the revolution that toppled long-time autocratic leader President Zine El Abiding Ben Ali in 2011.
