Tunisia gets new govt weeks after President Saied sacked PM

Tunisia has named a new government 11 weeks after President Kais Saied sacked the previous prime minister, suspended parliament and assumed executive power in moves his foes call a coup.

Prime Minister Najla Bouden, appointed by Saied last month, said on Monday the government's main priority would be tackling corruption but though Tunisia faces a looming fiscal crisis, she did not mention any programme of economic reforms.

"I am confident we will move from frustration to hope... I warn all who will threaten the state," said Saied at the ceremony.

Bouden kept in place several of the interim ministers Saied had already appointed including Sihem Boughdiri as finance minister and Othman Jerandi as foreign minister.

She also named, in a live broadcast ceremony, Samir Said as economy and planning minister and Taoufik Charfeddine as interior minister.

READ MORE: Why is anti-Saied sentiment on the rise in Tunisia?

The appointment of a new government has been urgently requested by both Tunisian political players and foreign donors for weeks and Saied has said he would after its appointment launch a dialogue about the future. 

Saied's moves have cast doubt on Tunisia's democratic gains since its 2011 revolution that inspired the Arab spring, and have also delayed efforts to seek a financial rescue package from the International Monetary Fund.

Tunisia faces a rapidly looming crisis in public finances, and the IMF has previously indicated it will negotiate only on the basis of government proposals for credible reforms.

Bouden's appointment prompted the biggest single-day gains for Tunisian bonds after Saied's intervention, which had prompted a significant sell-off and added to the cost of insuring its debt.

Last month, Saied moved to cement his position, brushing aside most of the constitution to say he could rule by decree and make the government responsible to himself, rather than to parliament.

He had already installed several members of the new cabinet as acting ministers soon after his July intervention, as he purged numerous senior officials from the government, regional positions, and the security forces.

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