Tunisian Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfakh stepped down on Wednesday posing a major blow to the country’s ongoing political deadlock, reported Reuters. The resignation comes after a dispute with the Ennahdha party that had withdrawn its support for the government.
The Tunisian presidential election conducted in September last year produced a fractured parliament in which no party took more than a quarter of the seats. The Ennahada party came out as the party with the maximum number of seats in the parliamentary elections.
Fakhfakh presented his resignation to President Kais Saied on Wednesday “in order to pave the way to get out of the crisis and avert further difficulties for the country,” a government statement said.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Ennahdha movement presented a motion of no-confidence in Fakhfakh due to an alleged conflict of interest by owning shares in companies that had received state contracts.
Last month, an independent member of Parliament came out with documents indicating the prime minister owned shares in companies that had won deals worth 44 million dinars ($15m) from the state. A judge has opened an investigation, and the anti-corruption minister has assigned a public watchdog to look into the issue and report back.
While Fakhfakh has denied of doing anything improper or corrupt, he promised to step down if investigators find wrongdoing. He claims that he had sold his shares in the companies.
Earlier this week, the Tunisian prime minister had announced a cabinet reshuffle amid a row with the moderate Islamist Ennahda party.
Fakhfakh came into power five months ago when President Saied tasked him with forming a government in January this year. The parliament approved his government on February 27. The president must now nominate a replacement to start consultations to form a new government.
Tunisia has reported 1,319 coornavirus cases and 50 deaths so far.
