Tunis, Jul 26 (UNI) Tunisia's Interior Minister Hichem Mechichi was on Sunday appointed as the country's new Prime Minister and given the go ahead to form the next government, the President's Office said.
The 46-year-old lawyer succeeds Elyes Fakhfakh, who resigned as Prime Minister earlier this month. But, Mr Mechichi was not one of the names proposed by the governing political parties to President Kais Saied.
In a statement following Saturday's announcement, Mr Mechichi said he would "work to form a government that meets the expectations of all Tunisians", an Al Jazeera report said.
Mr Mechichi has a month to form the government, which will then face a Parliamentary Vote of Confidence and will need an absolute majority to succeed. Failing that, the Parliament will be dissolved and new elections will be held within three months.
UNI XC ACL RJ 2056