Tunisian President Kais Saied sacked Prime minister Najla Bouden on Tuesday without explanation and has named a new one amid economic woes in the country.
Saied sacked Bouden and appointed Ahmed Hachani as her replacement, Tunisia’s state news agency TAP reported on Wednesday.
The agency added that Hachani, who previously worked at Tunisia’s Finance Ministry and central bank, was sworn in by Saied on Tuesday evening.
There was no official explanation for the dismissal of Bouden, whose critics described her as the “shadow of the president.”
But the move comes amid growing discontent in Tunisia over food shortages, price hikes, and frequent queues for bread, a staple item in the country.
Tunisia is mired in its worst economic crisis in decades amid high unemployment.
The North African country is a major route for migrants trying to reach Europe.
Last month, the European Union and Tunisia signed a deal aimed at combatting irregular migration in return for an aid package.
Saied said on Tuesday that Hachani would assume office “under special circumstances” and “great challenges.”
A $1.9-billion bailout loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is still pending.
Saied rejects the reforms demanded by the IMF and said they could cause the situation to “explode” with serious consequences for the stability of Tunisia and the region.
In September 2021, Saied picked Bouden as Tunisia’s first female prime minister.
Her appointment came two months after Saied, an ex-law professor, controversially unseated the previous premier and suspended parliament, before further expanding his legislative and executive powers, measures that the opposition decried as a “coup.”