Tunisian President Kais Saied on Thursday appointed a security adviser in charge of the Interior Ministry, the first appointment he makes after he took over the executive power, sacked the PM and suspend Parliament for a month.
“The President of the Republic has issued a presidential decree appointing Ridha Gharsallaoui to manage the Ministry of Interior,” the presidency said in a statement Thursday night.
Gharsalloui, who was sworn in, is a police commissioner turned national security adviser to the president, according to local media.
The appointment comes after several civil society organizations, as well as foreign countries, called on Saied to appoint a new government.
Saied launched Wednsday an Anti-corruption campaign, demanding accounts from 460 businessmen accused of embezzlement under r Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
460 Tunisian buisnessmen owe EUR4bn to the state, according to an old report of a commission of inquiry into corruption and embezzlement under the former regime.
“This money must return to the Tunisian people,” said the president.
He said he wanted to tackle the corruption that is contributing to the collapse of phosphate production, one of the country’s few natural resources.
Frustrated Tunisians seeking better socio-economic conditions and blaming a failing political class for deteriorating social and health conditions culminated in national protests on July 25 in Tunis, Sfax, Monastir, El-Kef, Sousse and Tozeur.
The country which had declared a zero-case in May 2020 is now recording a daily death toll of 100 people, its hospitals are overcrowded and under-resourced and consistently struggled to get the necessary vaccine doses under Mechichi’s government.The Country had received only the sixth of the number of doses promised under the Covax Covid-19 vaccines scheme aimed at lower-income countries.
The dismissed Mechichi said he will hand the responsibility to the President’s next choice.
“In order to preserve the safety of all Tunisians, I declare that I align myself, as I have always, by the side of our people, and declare that I will not take up any position or responsibility in the state,” he said on his Facebook page.
The Superior Council of Youth, claiming to be affiliated with the July 25 movement, announced a demonstration next Saturday to prevent the return of the former ruling system.
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