Tunisian parliament approves national united government

Tunis: The Tunisian Assembly of People's Representatives (ARP) approved on Friday night the line-up of new national united government headed by Youssef Chahed, with 167 pros, 22 cons and five abstentions.

The government of 40-year-old Chahed, is composed of 26 ministers and 14 secretaries of state, including eight female members and 14 young members, Xinhua news agency reported.

Five members are less than 35 years old. Chahed will be the youngest Prime Minister since the independence of Tunisia from France in 1956.

Questioned by the deputies, Chahed acknowledged some faults during the past five years and six governments since the revolution in 2011.

"We have failed in the past five years... to accomplish our principal objectives," said Chahed, warning this year will be quite difficult and 2017 might be even tougher.

"Our country has now 650,000 unemployed population... We predicted the growth could reach 2.5 per cent in 2016 but in fact we might not exceed 1.5 per cent."

According to the new prime minister, his cabinet will have to deal with the deficit, the payment balance and the debt.

"The next stage will be more serious," said Chahed who will probably take tight fiscal policy and austere measures.

"In order to face our problems, we should transfer the national united government from a simple concept into an executable practice, and then into an attitude," Chahed added.