Tunisian president says to announce new gov’t soon

By Yamena Salemi

TUNIS, Tunisia (AA) – Tunisian President Kais Saied said Saturday that a new government will be announced "in the nearest future", amid a political crisis in the North African nation.

"I seek to choose people (as government members) who are impeccable,” Saied said in a televised interview. “A little while ago, I had a meeting on choosing members of the government and will keep searching for people who could be trusted.”

The Tunisian leader, however, did not specify a date for unveiling the new government.

Saied dismissed accusations against him of violating the Tunisian constitution and staging a coup, stressing that he “will keep respecting the constitutional legitimacy."

On July 25, Saied ousted the government, suspended parliament, and assumed executive authority. While he insists that his exceptional measures are meant to "save" the country, his critics accuse him of orchestrating a coup.

Tunisia has been seen as the only country that succeeded in carrying out a democratic transition among Arab countries which witnessed popular revolutions toppling ruling regimes, including Egypt, Libya, and Yemen.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar