Tunis — President Kais Saied said on Sunday at the Carthage Palace that the cabinet reshuffle he made today was necessary, noting that the situation had now become "an open conflict between the Tunisian people, who are determined to liberate themselves, achieve justice and freedom, and resist corruption, and those who are in the arms of foreign circles and want to go backwards".
"Those who criticise a cabinet reshuffle weeks before the elections do not distinguish between the elections and the normal functioning of the state and its national security," he said in a speech to the newly appointed ministers.
He noted that "the functioning of the state is disrupted every day and national security takes precedence over all other considerations".
"If the supreme interest of the country required a ministerial reshuffle even after the polling stations had opened, there would be no hesitation in doing so," the President stressed.
He added: "Tunisians are attached to and proud of their homeland and are determined to defend its sovereignty without compromise".
The Head of State pointed out that "a number of regional, local and central officials were elected on the basis of their commitment to achieving the objectives and legitimate demands of the Tunisian people, but only a few days after their appointment, the system began to work behind the scenes to contain and circumvent many of them.
This turned the situation into a conflict between a new constitutional order and a corrupt system whose actors still want to return to the past".
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"They have not understood that Tunisia has entered a new phase in its history and that the country is living under a new constitution approved by the people in a referendum," he said, noting that "centres have been formed within the state apparatus that must be stopped immediately".
The current constitution stipulates that the executive function is exercised by the President of the Republic, assisted by a government, he said, noting that the minister is there to assist and cannot have options outside those set by the President of the Republic.
One of the manifestations of the disruption of the normal functioning of the State at regional and central levels is the lack of responsibility of some officials who have closed the doors to the citizens instead of going to them and finding solutions to their problems, he further indicated, stressing that "today's reshuffle is necessary".
"The economic and social challenges have been met, the growth rate is slowly improving and the foreign currency stock has also improved, all based on national decisions and not on foreign dictates," he pointed out.
