Tunisian Prime Minister announces new government

Newly-appointed Prime Minister Ali Laarayedh was given 15 days to pick a new cabinet Tunisia’s newly appointed Prime Minister Ali Laarayedh has today announced the formation of his new government, local media sources have reported. During a statement released earlier, Laarayedh said he is due to inform the country’s President Moncef Manzouki of his choices later today and hopes that the new government will “represent all the Tunisian people in achieving the objectives of the revolution.”
Laarayedh also insisted that the new cabinet will be “committed to freedom and dignity.”
Despite the announcement, Laarayedh has yet to confirm the names of the ministers set to join his government.
According to several reports, consultations before his announcement went on late into Thursday night, with several parties withdrawing from the negotiations in protest. These include the Wafa Movement, the Democratic Coalition Party and the Freedom and Dignity Party.
A spokesperson for the Freedom and Dignity Party today announced the party’s withdrawal from the upcoming government, accusing one of the majority parties, the Troika, of refusing to work with the opposition to form a coalition. He said his party strongly objected to the Troika’s policy of using quotas to increase the number of members of their own party in parliament.
Sources have told Arabstoday that the Democratic Coalition Party also confirmed their withdrawal from negotiations after failing to agree who would lead the Ministries of Justice and the Interior Ministry.
Meanwhile, the leader of Takatol Party, Khalil el-Zawia, has confirmed that his party will continue to participate in Laarayedh’s government, in a bid to support the “Tunisian revolution and install a new democratic era.”
Former interior minister, Laarayedh was appointed as Tunisia’s prime minister on February 22, following the resignation of Hamadi Jabeli just a week earlier. Jabeli left his post amid controversy over the handling of the assassination of opposition leader Chokri Belaid on February 6.