Tunisian President meets three candidates for Prime Minister

Tunisian President Kais Saied met three candidates for the position of Prime Minister at Carthage Palace on Saturday. The meetings were part of the ongoing consultation process to select a candidate to form the new government.

Those who met the President on Saturday were former Minister of Finance Hakim Ben Hammouda; former Minister of Development, Investment and International Cooperation Mohammed Fadhel Abdelkefi; and former Minister of Finance Elyes Fakhfakh. Other candidates who have been seen by the President include three women.

In mid-November, Saied asked Habib Jemli to form a government, after his name was proposed by Ennahda Movement, which was the biggest parliamentary party after the legislative elections on 6 October. However, on 10 January MPs said that they had no confidence in the government that Jemli put together.

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According to the Tunisian constitution, in the event that the government formed by the winning party in the legislative elections does not have the trust of the Parliament, the President of the Republic shall within 10 days hold consultations with the parties, alliances and parliamentary blocs to assign the most capable person to form a government within a maximum period of one month.

On this basis, Saied sent a letter to the parliamentary blocs last Tuesday inviting them to submit the names of suitably-qualified candidates to form the government. Candidates have been seen by the President since Thursday.