Tunis prefect, Kamal Feki, sworn in as Tunisia's interior minister

Tunisian President Kais Saied has overseen the swearing in of Tunis prefect, Kamal Feki, as the country's new interior minister.

A law graduate and former executive of the Ministry of Finance, Feki is one of the president’s staunchest supporters.

He replaces the influential Taoufik Charfeddine who resigned on Friday saying he wanted to spend more time with his family. His wife died last year in a fire caused by a gas leak in their home.

A former lawyer, Charfeddine was a key figure in the election campaign that propelled the previously little known Saied to the presidency in 2019.

After Saied froze parliament and sacked the government in July 2021, he became a close advisor, but has not been seen much in public in recent months.

Tunisia’s new parliament was voted in following an election last year with a turnout of just 11 per cent.

In recent weeks, authorities in Tunisia have arrested prominent opposition figures who accuse Saied of a coup.