Tunisian Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, left, has clashed with President Kais Saied, not pictured, over Cabinet appointments. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images.
Tunisian Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, left, has clashed with President Kais Saied, not pictured, over Cabinet appointments. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images.
Tunisian Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, left, has clashed with President Kais Saied, not pictured, over Cabinet appointments. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images.
Tunisian Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, left, has clashed with President Kais Saied, not pictured, over Cabinet appointments. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images.

Tunisian PM dismisses five ministers as political crisis drags on


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Tunisian Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi dismissed five ministers in his Cabinet on Monday amid a growing political standoff and protests about the country's deteriorating economy.

The ministers of justice, agriculture, industry, youth, and real estate affairs were the casualties of Mr Mechichi’s decision as he locked horns with President Kais Saied over his Cabinet reshuffle last month.

He has yet to announce their successors and asked other ministers to cover the vacant posts.

The Tunisian parliament voted on January 26 in favour of 11 new ministers put forward by Mr Mechichi in a Cabinet reshuffle.

But the president said he was not consulted and considered the reshuffle to be unconstitutional.

He accused some of the chosen ministers of being implicated in corruption cases and of having conflicts of interest.

It is not clear whether the sacked ministers are among the names flagged up by Mr Saied.

The North African country has been witnessing growing public anger over what protesters say are broken government promises to provide work and improve living conditions.

In November last year, Mr Mechichi's government promised to create hundreds of jobs and a fund to launch economic projects in impoverished cities after talks with leaders from the powerful Tunisian General Labour Union.

Tunisia was hailed as the success story of the Arab uprisings for the progress it made in sustaining democracy and human rights, but it has struggled for the past 10 years to revive its economy and deal with a growing sense of frustration and alienation in the street.

The country has been led by eight governments since the fall of long-time leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011, but the issues affecting a large section of society have barely changed.

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Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.

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The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.

The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.

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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

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