Tunisia: Government wins confidence vote

By Adel Bin Ibrahim Bin Elha Elthabti and Gulsen Topcu

TUNIS

The cabinet of Tunisia’s Prime Minister-designate Hichem Mechichi won a confidence vote early Wednesday.

A total of 134 deputies voted in favor and 67 against forming the government in voting held in parliament which lasted more than 14 hours.

On July 26, President Kais Saied assigned Mechichi, who was the interior minister at the time, to form a new government.

Mechichi formed a technocratic government on Aug. 25 with 25 ministers and three state clerks.

Mechichi, who is not affiliated with any political party, was not nominated by any party for the post of prime minister.

But Saied appointed him as premier last month after Elyes Fakhfakh resigned from the post over allegations of a conflict of interest.