Tunisia Leader Swaps Out Much of Cabinet Before October Vote
(Bloomberg) -- Tunisia’s president replaced more than a dozen government ministers in what he dubbed an “indispensable” move to combat corruption ahead of October elections he’s highly likely to win.
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Swapping in new heads for 19 ministries including foreign affairs, economy and planning, and defense, Kais Saied said he was acting to prevent “open conflict” while alleging unspecified Tunisians were collaborating with “foreign lobbies dreaming of a return to the past.”
He didn’t elaborate in the comments carried Sunday by the state-run TAP news agency. But such accusations are commonly made by Saied, a populist former constitutional law professor who’s seeking another five-year term in Oct. 6 elections and also recently replaced his prime minister.
Mohamed Ali Nafti was named new foreign minister, while Samir Abdelhafidh was given the economy portfolio. The finance ministry was left unchanged.
Most of the higher-profile contenders for the presidential ballot have either been barred from running or arrested, underscoring the decline in freedoms for a country that was once the Arab world’s most progressive democracy. Authorities are set to announce the final candidate list by Sept. 4.
(Updates with appointments in fourth paragraph.)
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