By Yousry Wannas
TUNIS, Tunisia (AA) - Prime Minister Yusuf al-Shahid declared Wednesday a cabinet reshuffle affecting 13 ministries out of 25, including interior, defense and finance.
The Tunisian premier has brought back the former defense minister in the previous government, Abdul-Karim al-Zubaidi, to succeed Farhat al-Harshani.
He also handed over the portfolio of Interior Ministry to the Tunisian gendarmerie commander Lotfi Brahem who replaced Hedi Majdoub.
The ministries affected by the reshuffle and the names of new ministers are as follows:
Interior Minister: Lotfi Brahem
Minister of Defense: Abdul-Karim al-Zubaidi
Minister of Finance: Ridha Chalghoum
Minister of Investment and International Cooperation: Ziad al-Athari
Minister of Education: Hatem Ben Salem
Minister of Health: Saleem Shaker
Minister of Employment and Vocational Training: Fawzi Abdel Rahman
Minister of Transport: Radwan Ayyara
Minister of Industry and Small and Medium Enterprises: Imad al-Hamami
Ministry of Commerce: Omar al-Bahi
Minister of Energy, Mines and Renewable Energies: Khaled Kadour
Minister in charge of major reforms: Tawfiq al-Rajhi
Minister of State Property: Mabrouk Kursheed
Late in August 2016, Prime Minister Yusuf al-Shahid’s government officially assumed its ruling mandate from the outgoing government of former PM Habib Essid at a handover ceremony held in the city of Carthage.
The al-Shahid government was the eighth to assume power in Tunisia since the country was rocked by a popular uprising in late 2010/early 2011.