Tunisia’s Ennahda to give confidence to unity government

Tunisia’s Ennahda movement will give confidence to Yusuf al-Shahid’s unity government due to be presented on Friday before the parliament.

“Ennahda has not asked for changes in Yusuf al-Shahid’s government,” said Ali Laaridh, Ennahda’s deputy leader, on the side-lines of a seminar on Wednesday.

“We will vote for the government for allowing it to play its role at the earliest possible time,” he said.

Laaridh, however, said that voting for the government “does not mean that Ennahda approves all ministers”.

“We will present our reservation to the prime minister-designate,” he said.

On Saturday, Al- Shahid announced a new government of 26 ministers while retaining the current ministers of interior, foreign affairs and defence.

The government needs the approval of 109 out of 217 MPs in the parliament.