Thursday February 7, 2013
PM: Tunisia to form government of technocrats
A picture taken on November 20, 2012 shows Tunisian lawyer Chokri Belaid during a radio interview in Tunis. - AFP TUNIS: Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali said Wednesday he would form a government of technocrats without political affiliations, after the murder of opposition leader Chokri Belaid sparked violent protests.
"I have decided to form a government of competent nationals without political affiliation, which will have a mandate limited to managing the affairs of the country until elections are held in the shortest possible time," Jebali said in a televised address to the nation.
He did not explicitly say that he was dissolving the existing government, nor did he name future ministers or set a date for the cabinet reshuffle, which must be confirmed by the national assembly.
Jebali's announcement comes after a months-long impasse between his Islamist party Ennahda and its secular coalition partners over the distribution of ministries.
Jebali said that plans to form a government of technocrats had stalled before the "odious (killing) that has shocked our people."
"(Belaid's) assassination has quickened my decision, for which I assume full responsibility before God and before our people," he added.
The secular parties in government have been demanding that key ministries be assigned to independents, a move rejected by Ennahda hardliners, including party head Rached Ghannouchi.
Jebali is considered a moderate within his party and favourable to the justice and foreign affairs ministries being allocated to non-political figures.
Planned fresh polls are unable to take place before the adoption of a new constitution, whose drafting has also failed to make progress because of wrangling within the National Constituent Assembly elected in October 2011. - AFP
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