Tunisia's Saied replaces key ministers in sweeping reshuffle

Tunisian President Kais Saied has replaced various ministers, including from the foreign and defence portfolios, the Tunisian presidency said in a statement posted on Facebook without explanation.

The reshuffle on Sunday replaced 19 ministers and three state secretaries, just days after Saied sacked the former prime minister.

"This morning, August 25, 2024, the President of the Republic has decided to make a governmental change," said the statement, without further detail.

The move comes as the North African country readies for presidential elections on October 6.

Saied, 66, was elected in 2019 and is now seeking a second term as part of what he has said was "a war of liberation and self-determination" aiming to "establish a new republic".

As the race for the presidency heated up, some candidates have either been barred from running or jailed.

Controversial race

Only two candidates — former member of parliament Zouhair Maghzaoui, 59, and Azimoun leader Ayachi Zammel — were pre-selected to run against Saied.

On Wednesday, local media said a court in the capital Tunis ordered the pre-trial detention of the treasurer of the Azimoun party, which Zammel leads, for "falsifying" signatures.

It remains unclear whether this would affect Zammel's contention.

So far, 14 presidential hopefuls have been barred from challenging Saied, after Tunisia's election board said they weren't able to collect enough ballot signatures.

Several would-be candidates have been accused of forging these signatures, with some being sentenced to prison.

Some hopefuls have also said they were unofficially barred from running because authorities refused to give them a copy of a clean criminal record, which is needed by candidates.

In early August Saied sacked prime minister Ahmed Hachani without explanation and replaced him with social affairs minister Kamel Madouri, the presidency announced at the time.