Ben Ali Shakes Up Cabinet in Tunisia
President Zine Abidine ben Ali changed nearly half his Cabinet on Tuesday, ousting most remaining figures who had served under deposed President Habib Bourguiba.
In his biggest ministerial shake-up since taking power in November, 1987, Ben Ali replaced Foreign Minister Mahmoud Mestiri with Abdel Hamid Cheikh, a former minister of sports and youth, the official TAP news agency said.
Ben Ali also named a new justice minister, Hamed Karoui, who is a director of the central committee of the ruling Constitutional Democratic Party.
He also appointed new heads of the Health, Interior, Information and Youth and Sports ministries, as well as creating a Ministry of Industry and Commerce and a Ministry of Energy and Mines.
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