Tunisia: new Interior Minister Hichem Fourati sworn in

Tunisia’s newly appointed interior minister Hichem Fourati was sworn in front of President Beji Caid Essebsi on Monday.

Prime Minister Youssef Chahed appointed him on 24 July to replace Lotfi Brahem, who was dismissed after dozens of migrants died when their boat bound for Italy sunk after setting off from a southern island without being intercepted by security forces.

Fourati was before his appointment a senior official in the interior ministry.

There have been calls for Prime Minister Chahed to step down over the recent months. President Essebsi had early in July urged Chahed to step down if the country’s political and economic problems persisted.

President Essebsi’s son, Hafedh Caid Essebsi, who is the leader of the ruling Nidaa Tounes party, called in May for Chahed’s dismissal over his handling of the economy.

However the moderate Islamist party Ennahda claims that a change in government would hit stability at a time when the country needed economic reforms.