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· Tunisia’s prime minister resigned yesterday (Wednesday) amid allegations of conflict of interest
· It is rumored that he has a stake in a waste processing company that won government contracts worth 15 million euro.
Tunisia’s prime minister resigned yesterday (Wednesday) amid allegations of conflict of interest. It is rumored that he has a stake in a waste processing company that won government contracts worth 15 million euro.
The news about Elyes Fakhfakh’s stake n the company led to weeks of political tensions in the North African country, which is in deep economic and social crisis. This is compounded by the lockdown necessitated by the spread of Covid-19.
Fakhfakh conceded that he is a shareholder in the waste management company while in office. But he sold his shares to a third party, he asserted, amidst multiple investigations that are under way to unearth the nexus.
The rival Islamist party Ennahdha, which has been up in arms against Fakhfakh over his refusal to expand the government to include allied parties, may have the last laugh since the party was directing their attack on the prime minister for quite some time.
President Kais Saied asked Fakhfakh to submit his resignation in a private meeting on Wednesday with the president and in the presence of Ennahdha leader Rachid Ghannouchi. Fakhfakh said he would continue doing his job until a successor is named. The president has 10 days to start consultations with political parties and parliamentary groups on picking a new prime minister. Tunisia switched over to democracy after protesters overthrew a longtime autocrat in 2011 and unleashed the Arab Spring uprisings.
