Tunisia's president dismisses Prime Minister, names new successor

Tunisian President Kais Saied dismissed Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani Wednesday after just a year in office.

Said appointed Kamel Maddouri, the Minister of Social Affairs, to take over the role, the presidency said in a statement.

Hachani had expressed in a video message just hours prior to his removal that the government had achieved progress on several fronts, despite challenges related to high food and energy prices.

The dismissal occurs during widespread dissatisfaction with ongoing water and electricity outages across the nation.

The government attributes these issues to a persistent drought, which has prompted water rationing.

The agriculture ministry reports that the dam level is critically low at 25 percent, while Saied perceives the water shortages as a conspiracy ahead of the presidential election, asserting that the dams are actually at full capacity.

Saied declared his intention to run for president in October, facing significant backlash from the opposition, human rights organizations, and other candidates who accuse him of suppressing and intimidating rivals to secure a second term.