Tunisian President Kais Saied has sacked the country's first female Prime Minister Najla Bouden amid growing economic woes.
Saied terminated the duties of Bouden as prime minister and appointed Ahmed Hachani as her replacement, Tunisia’s state news agency TAP reported Wednesday.
Hachani, who previously worked at Tunisia’s Finance Ministry and central bank, was sworn in by Saied earlier Tuesday evening, the agency added.
There was no official explanation for the dismissal of Bouden, whose critics described her as the "shadow of the president."
However, the move comes amid growing discontent in Tunisia over food shortages, price hikes and frequent queues for bread, a staple item in the country.
Tunisia is mired in its worst economic crisis in decades amid high unemployment.
The North African country is a major route for migrants trying to reach Europe.
Last month, the European Union and Tunisia signed a deal aimed at combatting irregular migration in return for an aid package.
Saied said on Tuesday that Hachani would assume office "under special circumstances" and "great challenges.”
A $1.9-billion bailout loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is still pending.
Saied rejects the reforms demanded by the IMF and said they could cause the situation to "explode" with serious consequences for the stability of Tunisia and the region.
In September 2021, Saied picked Bouden as Tunisia’s first female prime minister.
Her appointment came two months after Saied, an ex-law professor, controversially unseated the previous premier and suspended parliament, before further expanding his legislative and executive powers, measures that the opposition decried as a "coup."
