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Tunisian PM-Designate Expects Government Next Week

Reuters

   CARTHAGE, TUNISIA - Tunisia's prime minister-designate Habib Jemli
   expects to form a government next week with political independents
   holding most of the important portfolios, he said on Tuesday.

   Jemli, who was named to the job by the moderate Islamist Ennahda party
   which finished first in October's election, added that he would
   continue with economic reforms begun under previous governments, but
   would implement them differently.

   "I expect to finish forming the government next week," he told Reuters
   in an interview at the government office in Carthage.

   October's parliamentary election resulted in a deeply fractured
   parliament with no party winning more than a quarter of seats,
   complicating the process of coalition building.

   Jemli said he would give the interior, justice, defense and foreign
   ministries to political independents who are unaffiliated with the big
   parties and that Ennahda understood this.

   His choice of finance minister is somebody with a high local and
   international profile able to negotiate with foreign partners, Jemli
   said, without revealing the person's name.

   "Economic reforms and combating widespread corruption in all parts of
   the state will be my priority," he said.

   "Reforms are necessary, but with a new methodology. They must be in
   partnership with the labor union," he added.
   

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