Tunisia's president names new interior minister as critics slam 'coup'

Ridha Gharsallaoui's appointment as interior minister comes days after the Tunisian president suspended parliament and fired his prime minister.

AL-MONITOR Staff
AL-MONITOR Staff
Jul 30, 2021
Tunisian soldiers cordon-off the Parliament in the capital Tunis on July 26, 2021, following a move by the President to suspend the country's parliament and dismiss the Prime Minister.
Tunisian soldiers cordon off the parliament in the capital, Tunis, on July 26, 2021, following a move by the president to suspend the country's parliament and dismiss the prime minister. — FETHI BELAID/AFP via Getty Images

Tunisian President Kais Saied has appointed Ridha Gharsallaoui to oversee the country's Interior Ministry amid a political crisis that his critics describe as a coup.

The naming of Gharsallaoui, a former national security adviser to the presidency, comes days after Saied invoked emergency authorities he said were required to tackle the North African country’s political instability.

After violent protests demanded the Tunisian government resign over its handling of the coronavirus and the economy, Saied on Sunday announced he was firing Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and suspending parliament for 30 days or “until the situation settles down.” Saied also cited his emergency powers when stripping lawmakers of their immunity, and in recent days has dismissed a number of top government officials.

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