Tunisia president stands firm against cabinet reshuffle

Tunisia's president stands firm in his opposition to a cabinet reshuffle, suggesting he would not let the 11 new ministers take the oath of office.

Tunisia’s parliament last month had approved a Cabinet reshuffle that deepened the conflict between the prime minister and the president,

"We are ready for all the solutions but I I won't back down from my principles."
"I am ready for dialogue but I am not ready to talk with those who have robbed the Tunisian people."

President Kais condemned the absence of women among the new ministers and said some likely new Cabinet members may have conflicts of interest.

This comes as the COVID-19 crisis is weakening an already battered economy, In 2020, the econonmy was at a low ebb and shrank by more than 8% ,

Amid the cabinet reshuffle last month, hundreds had gathered outside the parliament over social inequality and police abuses.