Tunisian President Kais Saied has fired Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani and named Social Affairs Minister, Kamel Maddouri as his replacement, according to a statement.
Mr. Hachani was appointed as Tunisia’s prime minister in August of last year.
A few hours before being dismissed, Hachani stated in a video message that despite global obstacles, the administration had made progress on a number of areas, including safeguarding the country’s food and energy needs.
The dismissal comes amid popular discontent with the recurring water and electricity outage crisis in many parts of the country.
While the government says that Tunisia is suffering from a continuous drought that has led to a quota system in water distribution, Mr. Saied sees the water cuts as a conspiracy ahead of presidential election and says that the dams are full.
Mr. Saied announced his candidacy for the presidential elections in October amid widespread criticism from the opposition, human rights groups and candidates for restricting and intimidating competitors to pave the way for him to win a second term.
