Tunisia unveils new cabinet

Tunisia's first democratic government is promising to create tens of thousands of new jobs.

By Houda Trabelsi for Magharebia in Tunis – 23/12/11

Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali on Thursday (December 22nd) presented his government to the Constituent Assembly. The 41-member coalition cabinet consists of 30 ministers and 11 state secretaries.

Moderate Islamist party Ennahda claimed the top cabinet portfolios. Ali Larayedh, a former political prisoner and senior Ennahda official, will become interior minister. Ennahda spokesperson Nourredine Bhiri will take over as justice minister, while Rafik Abdessalem, the son-in-law of Ennahda leader Rachid Ghannouchi, will be Tunisia's new foreign minister.

Ennahda also gets the higher education ministry and the newly-created human rights ministry. Houcine Dimassim, a non-partisan individual named by Ettakatol, is set to become Tunisia's new finance minister.

Defense Minister Abdelkarim Zbidi was the only member of the outgoing cabinet to retain his post.

In addressing the Constituent Assembly, Jebali pledged to listen to the people, involve civil society and work for a transparent government. The prime minister also vowed to include the spirit of the revolution in the new constitution.

He added that the government would take practical steps to respond to the demands of unemployed people, foremost among whom young university graduates.

"For this purpose, national and foreign investments will be boosted and stimulated, initiatives and creative ideas will be encouraged, training centers will be expanded and activated and linked to market needs, and young developers will be provided with care," Jebali said.

He also said that "the government plans to create more than 20,000 jobs in the public sector as a contribution from the state to employment efforts. This is in addition to benefiting from job opportunities in neighboring and friendly countries, especially Libya, the Gulf and Europe."

The proposed government program will also enable an additional 50,000 families to receive the monthly allowance given to poor families (70 dinars a month), raising the total number of beneficiaries to 235,000 families.

As to conditions in inland provinces such as Sidi Bouzid, Jebali said they would be on the top of his government's priorities and at the heart of its development program.

Opposition parties, however, strongly criticized the prime minister's statements. Samir Tayeb, an MP representing Ettajdid Movement and the Modernist Democratic Pole (PDM), told Magharebia the opposition had "strong reservations" about the new government.

Tayeb said that Jebali's speech was unsurprising and included "a lot of generalizations that are not based on realistic, well-studied data".

In the same context, Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) parliamentarian Issam Chebbi told Magharebia that the speech had "good intentions and promises, but Tunisians need tangible measures".

Independent representative Faisal Jadlaoui said that while "Jebali addressed all sectors and concerns in his statement, the program "can't be realized in one year".

"The government is now required to draw up an immediate program to deliver the country from economic recession and bring it to safety," he said.

The Ennahda-led government includes female ministers at the women's affairs and environment ministries, as well as a female secretary of state for housing, said Mehrzia Abidi, first deputy of the Constituent Assembly Speaker.

"This is good representation, and I believe they will do their job in the best possible way," she told Magharebia.

Newly nominated Culture Minister Mehdi Mabrouk also sought to reassure citizens, telling Magharebia that the "trend in the current stage will not be towards the Islamization of culture in Tunisia, but towards openness to all intellectual currents and innovators all over Tunisia."

Higher Education Minister Moncef ben Salem said work would focus on reforms, as well as scholarships for study abroad.

As to the issue of the niqab at Tunisian universities, ben Salem told Magharebia that it was "not a priority" at the present time.

Citizen Marwa Slim told Magharebia that she was concerned about the new government's lack of experience.

"Moreover, most of the ministers are old, and there is no representation of Tunisia's young people who were behind the revolution," Slim said, adding that youth unemployment "is the biggest problem facing Tunisia now".

Another young Tunisian, Mohamed Mejri, said: "The new government must be given a chance to work to get the country out of recession and find solutions for the problem of unemployment that has aggravated after the revolution."

"It would be illogical to hold a government to account before it even starts its work," Mejri added.

Source: Magharebia.
Link: http://www.magharebia.com/cocoon/awi/xhtml1/en_GB/features/awi/features/2011/12/23/feature-01.