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Tunisian President Kais Saied on Thursday appointed a former national security adviser to the post of interior minister, days after seizing power in what his opponents called a “coup”.
The new appointee, Ridha Gharsallaoui, is also a former senior police official, local media reported.
The presidency announced his appointment just as Saied, who spoke of “imminent dangers” for the North African country, was under increasing international and national pressure to form a new government.
Tunisians are awaiting the appointment of a new prime minister and the announcement of a roadmap to end the crisis.
As the president’s actions fueled political unrest, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Thursday that Saied had promised him he was committed to democracy.
But Blinken also called for action, including restoring parliament, which the Tunisian president suspended for 30 days on Sunday as he seized all executive powers.
“The intentions he expressed to me were to bring Tunisia back to this democratic path and to act in a manner consistent with the constitution,” Blinken said in an interview with Al Jazeera, of a conversation with Saied earlier this week.
“But of course we have to look at the actions that the president is taking, that Tunisia is taking,” he said.
The young democracy has often been cited as the only success of the Arab Spring.
But, a decade later, many say they have seen little improvement in living standards and have become enraged by a prolonged political stalemate with infighting among the elite.
” To protect yourself ”
During a meeting with a leader of the UTICA employers’ federation, Saied criticized the “bad economic choices” made in recent years.
In comments Wednesday evening, the president pointed out “those who plunder public money”.
Saied accused 460 businessmen of owing 13.5 billion dinars ($ 4.9 billion) to the state, citing findings of a commission of inquiry into corruption under former dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
“This money must be returned to the Tunisian people,” he said, adding that he intends to offer businessmen “judicial arbitration”.
In exchange for dropping the charges, the reimbursed money would be injected into the less developed regions of Tunisia.
Saied also called on traders and wholesalers to “lower the prices” in an economy in crisis where soaring inflation has eaten away at the purchasing power of consumers.
He also called for a revival of the production of phosphate, one of the country’s scarce natural resources.
Saied raised suspicions of corruption surrounding the industry, referring to “people in parliament protecting themselves with parliamentary immunity”.
Prosecutors have already opened an investigation into political parties suspected of receiving foreign funds to campaign in the 2019 elections.
The investigation targets the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party, which has been part of all coalitions since the 2011 revolution, as well as its liberal ally Qalb Tounes and the Aich Tounsi movement.
After months of political crisis, Saied, whose presidential functions are normally limited to diplomacy and security, seized power by invoking the constitution.
The operation was denounced as a “coup” by Ennahdha, his main opponent.
Increase in Covid-19 cases
Saied, an austere legal scholar who won office in 2019 thanks to his harsh criticism of political parties, was well known for his stance against corruption.
In January, he blocked a cabinet reshuffle of Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, whom he sacked on Sunday, citing suspicions of conflicts of interest and corruption among some ministers.
The takeover was greeted by many Tunisians who are struggling to make ends meet and who are fed up with the mismanagement of the Covid-19 pandemic.
On Wednesday evening, the president also announced the establishment of a crisis unit to manage the surge in Covid-19 cases.
Tunisia, with a population of around 12 million, has one of the worst Covid-19 death rates in the world, with 19,000 coronavirus-related deaths.
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