Tunisia to form government of technocrats - PM

TUNISIA: Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali said Wednesday he would form a government of technocrats without political affiliations, after the murder of Opposition leader Chokri Belaid sparked violent protests.

“I have decided to form a government of competent nationals without political affiliation, which will have a mandate limited to managing the affairs of the country until elections are held in the shortest possible time,” Jebali said in a televised address to the nation.

He did not explicitly say that he was dissolving the existing government, nor did he name future ministers or set a date for the cabinet reshuffle, which must be confirmed by the national assembly. Jebali's announcement comes after a months-long impasse between his Islamist party Ennahda and its secular coalition partners over the distribution of ministries. Jebali said that plans to form a government of technocrats had stalled before the “odious (killing) that has shocked our people.”

AFP