Tunisian President Dismisses Prime Minister Ahead of Presidential Election

Tunisian President Kais Saied has dismissed Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani after just one year in office, amidst growing discontent over ongoing water and electricity shortages across the country. Saied has appointed Kamel Maddouri, the Minister of Social Affairs, as the new prime minister.

The move comes just hours after Hachani released a video message expressing his confidence in the government’s progress, despite challenges posed by high food and energy prices. The dismissed prime minister had also faced criticism over the government’s handling of the crisis, with many Tunisians suffering from water and electricity rationing.

The government attributes the outages to a persistent drought, which has reduced the country’s dam levels to critically low levels of 25%. However, President Saied has disputed this, claiming that the dams are actually at full capacity, suggesting that the shortages are part of a conspiracy aimed at undermining his re-election chances.

Saied has declared his intention to run for president in October, despite widespread opposition and criticism from human rights groups and other candidates. Many of these critics accuse Saied of suppressing and intimidating his political opponents to secure a second term.

The dismissal of Hachani comes amid growing tensions in the run-up to the presidential election. The move has raised concerns about the government’s ability to manage the crisis and its commitment to upholding democratic principles.

Additional Sources: Other agencies