Najla Bouden Romdhane, a little-known professor of geophysics who implemented World Bank projects at the Education Ministry, has been tasked to form a government as quickly as possible.
President Kais Saied has named a geologist with little government experience as Tunisia’s first woman prime minister amid a crisis following his
seizure of powers and with public finances close to breaking point.
He asked Najla Bouden Romdhane, a little-known professor of
geophysics who implemented World Bank projects at the Education Ministry, to form a government as quickly as possible on Wednesday.
The move
prompted a surge in Tunisian bond prices.
Elected in 2019, Saied has been under domestic and international pressure to name a government after he dismissed the prime minister, suspended parliament and assumed executive authority in July in moves his foes call a coup.
Last week, he suspended most of the constitution, saying he could rule by decree during an “exceptional” period with no set ending, calling into question democratic gains after Tunisia’s 2011 revolution that triggered the Arab Spring protests.
READ MORE: Why is anti-Saied sentiment on the rise in Tunisia?
Honouring Tunisian women
Speaking in an online video, Saied said Bouden’s appointment
honoured Tunisian women and asked her to propose a cabinet in
the coming hours or days “because we have lost a lot of time.”
The new government should confront corruption and respond to
the demands and dignity of Tunisians in all fields, including
health, transport and education, he added.
Women have only rarely held senior political roles in Arab
countries. In Tunisia, Saied has also appointed a woman, Nadia
Akacha, as chief of staff, his closest and most powerful aide.
Bouden is likely to have less direct power than previous
prime ministers under the 2014 constitution, however, after
Saied said last week that during the emergency period the
government would be responsible to the president.
READ MORE: Tunisians take to streets against President Said’s seizure of powers
Crisis
Much of the political elite, including most parties in the
suspended parliament and the powerful UGTT labour union, have
said they oppose Saied’s power grab and Western donors have
urged him to restore normal constitutional order.
Tunisia faces a looming crisis in public finances after
years of economic stagnation were aggravated by the coronavirus
pandemic and political infighting.
Government bonds made their best gains in a year on the news after a significant sell-off since Saied’s intervention, along with pressure on the cost of insuring against default.
“The key is the possibility of IMF support,” said Viktor
Szabo, an emerging markets portfolio manager at ABRDN in London.
The new government urgently needs financial support for the
budget and debt repayments after Saied’s changes put talks with
the International Monetary Fund on hold.
“It is a positive sign that a woman will lead the
government. I hope she will immediately start saving the country
from the spectre of bankruptcy. She should quickly look at the
problems of Tunisians,” said Amin Ben Salem, a banker in Tunis.
READ MORE: Over 100 members from Tunisia’s Ennahda step down amid political crisis
Government work halted
There was no direct reaction from the labour union or
political parties to Bouden’s appointment.
However, the biggest party in the elected parliament, the
moderate Ennahda, urged its leader the parliament
speaker Rached Ghannouchi to resume the assembly’s work in
defiance of Saied.
The statement underscores how parties in parliament may
challenge the legality of any government appointed without the
consent of the suspended chamber.
Saied spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Merkel’s
office said she had told him it was essential to return to
parliamentary democracy in dialogue with other political
players.
A senior Tunisian politician told Reuters last week the new
prime minister would face a daunting inbox as most government
work had ground to a halt over the past two months and a vast
array of files needed urgent attention.
READ MORE: Can Saied’s plan cure Tunisia’s problems?
Source: TRTWorld and agencies
Tunisia president names Najla Bouden to become country’s first female PM
Source: News Achor Trending
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