Tunisia parliament approves cabinet line-up

Technocratic caretaker government of Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa tasked with leading the country to fresh elections.

 

Former Industry Minister Mehdi Jomaa is now the country's fifth prime minister since the 2011 revolution

Tunisia's parliament has approved a technocratic caretaker government tasked with leading the country out of a bruising political crisis and to fresh elections. After a marathon session broadcast live on national television early on Wednesday, the line-up proposed by Prime Minister-designate Mehdi Jomaa was approved by 149 politicians, with 20 voting against and 24 abstaining. The vote was the final act of a political crisis that lasted six months and started after the assassination of assembly member Mohamed Brahmi. Jomaa, the fifth prime minister since the 2011 revolution, has to deal with a country torn by the revolution, economic difficulties, social unrest, security issues, and not enough funding for the 2014 government budget. Since the revolution that overthrew Tunisia's dictator, Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, this country of 11 million has been wracked by armed attacks, social unrest and a limping economy. With 600,000 young people unemployed and 20 percent of the nation mired in poverty, Jomaa said he will seek foreign aid to finance development projects.