Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki on 23 February tasked Interior Minister Ali Larayedh yesterday with forming a new government after Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali resigned amid a major political crisis. Larayedh “will have 15 days to form a new government and present its plan to the head of state,” Mancer said, adding that Marzouki urged him to do so “as quickly as possible because the country cannot wait any longer.”
The ruling party Ennahda had put forward the name of Larayedh, 57, after its Shoura Council selected him overnight. Ennahda, which was already leading a coalition, has promised to build as broadly based a government as possible. And with its 89 MPs, it should have no difficulty getting the 109 votes needed for a majority. Larayedh, who was imprisoned and tortured under the regime of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, has been interior minister since the dictator was ousted in 2011. A moderate member of the party, he is seen as a man of dialogue.