TUNIS, Tunisia
Tunisian Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa unveiled his new cabinet line-up late Sunday.
"We have cut down the number of ministers to only 21 ministers to have a coherent team," Jomaa told a televised press conference.
The prime minister read the names of his new ministers to the press.
He thanked all candidates he had seen during his deliberations to form the new government asserting that Tunisia is abundant with qualified people.
Earlier Sunday, President Moncef Marzouki reassigned Jomaa with forming the government after the expiry of an earlier deadline on Saturday.
Last week, Marzouqi tasked Jomaa, an outgoing industry minister, with drawing up a government of technocrats.
Jomaa is the consensus candidate for the premiership agreed upon by the ruling Ennahda and the opposition.
Tunisia has been engulfed by political tension since the assassination of opposition leader Choukri Belaid early last year.
The crisis intensified with the assassination last July of leftist leader Mohamed al-Brahmi, which prompted mass rallies calling for the resignation of the Islamist-led government and the formation of a government of "national salvation."
englishnews@aa.com.tr
