Tunisia Ennahda slams removing its ministers from gov't

TUNIS

Tunisia's Ennahda Movement on Thursday said Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfakh’s dismissing the movement’s ministers is messing with the institutions and is a convulsive reaction on the petition submitted against him to the parliament.

Fakhfakh’s decisions came amid escalation with Ennahda since the movement decided to start consultations to form a new government.

In a statement, the movement said: "What the resigned prime minister made to exempt the Movement's ministers from their duties, is messing with institutions and a convulsive reaction, and can harm the interests of citizens as well as the higher interests of the country..., especially in the health sector amid the coronavirus pandemic.”

Late Wednesday, the country’s government removed Youth and Sports Minister Ahmed Gaaloul, Equipments Minister Moncef Sliti, Local Affairs Minister Lotfi Zitoun, Information Technologies Minister Anouar Maarouf, Health Minister Abdellatif Mekki, and Higher Education and Scientific Research Minister Slim Choura, from their positions.

Fakhfakh’s government added the dismissed ministers’ duties to six other ministers on duty.

On Wednesday, a group of 105 Tunisian lawmakers submitted a petition to the parliament demanding a no-confidence vote regarding Fakhfakh’s government.

Since Feb. 27, Fakhfakh has chaired a coalition government that includes Ennahda, the Democratic Movement, People's Movement, Hayat Tunis Movement, and National Reform Bloc.

The National Anti-Corruption Authority, an independent constitutional body, referred documents Monday on Fakhfakh's revenues to the judiciary and the parliament speaker.

* Bassel Barakat contributed to this report from Ankara.