Tunisia lawmakers to hold confidence vote on new government

Tunisia lawmakers to hold confidence vote on new government

Tunisian President Kais Saied's pick for prime minister faces a confidence vote Tuesday that could approve a new technocratic government or force fresh elections.

Saied has designated as premier the former interior minister Hichem Mechichi, who has promised to revitalise the tourism-reliant economy that has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.

Mechichi, 46, was named in July to lead the small North African country's third designated government in less than a year, replacing Elyes Fakhfakh, who resigned over claims of conflict of interest.

His chances rose hours before the crucial vote, expected in the evening, as the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party, the biggest bloc in parliament, said it would grudgingly back him "despite reservations".

Political scientist Chokri Bahria, from the think tank Jossour, said "it seems clear that