Tunisian President Replaces Premier

President Zine Abidine ben Ali on Wednesday fired his premier, who had expressed growing opposition to Ben Ali’s reform moves.

The president named Justice Minister Hamed Karoui to replace Hedi Baccouche, the government announced. “A new post will be found for Baccouche,” said a statement from the president’s office without elaboration.

Baccouche, a personal friend of the president, was named to lead the government immediately after the palace coup Nov. 7, 1987, in which Ben Ali ousted President Habib Bourguiba. However, the two men had grown progressively further apart recently as Ben Ali sought to put through his own program.