Tunisia gets new government, appoints record number of women

Screen capture from a June 2020 video of Najla Bouden who was selected to become prime minister of Tunisia, September 29, 2021. (YouTube)
Screen capture from a June 2020 video of Najla Bouden who was selected to become prime minister of Tunisia, September 29, 2021. (YouTube)

Tunisia gets a new government after more than two months without one, with the prime minister naming her Cabinet, including a record number of women.

The ministerial appointments announced by Prime Minister Najla Bouden fill a vacuum that had persisted since President Kais Saied abruptly dismissed his former cabinet and suspended parliament 11 weeks ago, concentrating all executive powers. His critics and constitutional lawyers have likened his actions to a coup.

Bouden, named Sept. 29 by Saied as Tunisia’s first female prime minister, says during the swearing-in ceremony of her new ministers that their main priority would be fighting corruption.

The new Cabinet has an unprecedented 10 women, including the prime minister. They include Leila Jaffel, new at the Ministry of Justice, and Sihem Boughdiri Nemseya, reappointed as finance minister.

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