Youssef Chahed: The new Tunisian PM
Q. The new PM of Tunisia was sworn in on 27th August 2016. Who is he?- Published on 29 Aug 16a. Habib Essid
b. Beji Caid Essebsi
c. Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
d. Youssef Chahed
ANSWER: Youssef Chahed
Tunisian PM Youssef Chahred and members of the cabinet were sworn in on 27th August, according to the presidency after approval from the parliament.
- The PM and his 26 ministers swore to work with devotion for the good of Tunisia and respect its constitution and laws
- Chahed at 40, is the youngest PM of this country since independence from France in 1956.
- He is also the seventh premier in less than six years since the 2011 uprising that toppled longtime doctor Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Parliament a week back approved the cabinet line up.
- 168 out of 195 lawmakers who attended the session voted in favour, 22 against and 5 abstaining
- Former premier of Tunisia was Habib Essid
- Chahed was appointed by President Beji Caid Essebsi earlier in the month after lawmakers passed a vote of no confidence in Essid’s government following just 18 months in office
- New PM is member of the Nidaa Tounes party
- He is a liberal who was local affairs minister prior to his nomination
- He and the cabinet which included three members of the Islamist Ennahda party and several independents will look to tackle pressing economic and security challenges.
- North African country Tunisia has been witnessing its worst social unrest since the 2011 uprising
- It has been rocked by jihadist attacks including two that killed dozens of foreign tourists last year.
- Tunisia is considered a rare success story of the Arab Spring
- But it has failed to resolve issues of poverty, unemployment, regional disparities and corruption.
