Tunisia names new cabinet pending elections

Tunisia's prime minister Mehdi Jomaa has announced a new caretaker cabinet to govern the country until elections, a move that is set to dispel political wrangling in the country.

The development comes quickly after Jomaa had announced that he had failed to strike a consensus on a new cabinet after objections from the opposition.

"The objective is to arrive at elections and create the security and economic climate to get out of this crisis," Jomaa said in Tunis.

Tunisian faithful see Jomaa as a unifier, and as the ideal person to hold the country together until new elections are held.

He was appointed in December after the ruling Islamist Ennahda party agreed to step down in a deal with secular opponents to end a political crisis.

One of the most secular countries in the Arab World, Tunisia struggled after its 2011 revolt with divisions over the role of Islam and the rise of ultra-conservative Salafists, who secularists feared would try to roll back liberal rights.

The new government will have to tackle demands from international lenders to cut public spending and curb the budget
deficit without triggering protests over social welfare.

No date has been set for elections though they are due this year.

Economist Hakim Ben Hammouda has been appointed finance minister while former UN official Mongi Hamdi was elected as the foreign minister.

Tunisia's assembly finished work on a new constitution last week, and will vote to approve it shortly.

Its progress stand in contrast to turmoil in Libya, Egypt and Yemen which also toppled leaders in 2011 uprisings.