TUNIS, 12 October 2021, (TON): Tunisia named a new government, 11 weeks after President Kais Saied ousted the prime minister and suspended parliament to assume near total control in moves that his critics call a coup.

Prime Minister Najla Bouden, appointed by Saied last month, said the government’s main priority would be tackling corruption but though Tunisia faces a looming fiscal crisis, she did not mention any program of economic reforms.

Saied at the ceremony said “I am confident we will move from frustration to hope... I warn all who will threaten the state.”

Bouden kept the interim finance and foreign ministers Saied had already installed, while naming Taoufik Charfeddine as interior minister.

The appointment of a government has long been demanded by both domestic political players and foreign donors, along with a clear declaration by Saied of a timeline to exit the crisis.

Saied’s moves have cast doubt on Tunisia’s democratic gains since its 2011 revolution that inspired the Arab spring, and have also delayed efforts to seek a financial rescue package from the International Monetary Fund.

Tunisia faces a rapidly looming crisis in public finances, and the IMF has previously indicated it will negotiate only on the basis of government proposals for credible reforms.