馃嚬馃嚦TunisiaNorth Africa
Tunisian Interior Minister announces municipal reform focused on accountability amid institutional uncertainty
via Business News3 min read
Tunisian municipalities remain in institutional limbo two years after their dissolution by decree. Interior Minister Khaled Nouri announced on Monday, April 27, 2026, during a hearing at the National Council of Regions and Districts, that a new organic law for municipalities is being drafted. This law aims to introduce accountability mechanisms and monitoring of municipal council activities, marking a departure from past practices. Nouri emphasized that municipal action evaluation will now be based on completed projects rather than administrative or relational considerations, and municipal elections should not be seen as merely political events. This move follows the dissolution of all municipal councils elected in 2018 by decree-law on March 8, 2023, which ended a fragile local democratic experiment. Mayors were dismissed, and special delegations under the Ministry of Interior took over municipal management, creating a prolonged electoral void. The current context is marked by persistent uncertainty in local governance, as illustrated by the recent decision of the local council of Tunis City to refer a dossier on stalled municipal projects to the Presidency of the Republic and the public prosecutor. This situation highlights tensions and dysfunctions, with calls to escalate blockages directly to the state's highest level, bypassing traditional institutional channels. Municipalities operate within a provisional administrative framework with limited autonomy, particularly budg
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Bangladesh President Mohammad Shahabuddin, 76, announced his resignation on Friday, July 24, 2026, citing health reasons. Shahabuddin, who was elected by Parliament in 2023, stated in a letter to the Speaker of the lower house that illness was affecting his physical and mental capabilities, making it impossible to properly fulfill his responsibilities. His role was primarily ceremonial. Shahabuddin had announced the resignation of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, following weeks of anti-government riots. Hasina then fled to neighboring India. Shahabuddin's political opponents had regularly called for his departure. After an interim period led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party BNP won the legislative elections in February, leading to its leader, Tarique Rahman, becoming the head of the country.
Tunisian champion Mohamed Khalil Jendoubi secured a gold medal at the Portugal Open G1 taekwondo tournament in the -68 kg category on Sunday, July 26, 2026. The Olympic medalist and world champion won the final after his Norwegian opponent forfeited. Jendoubi demonstrated a strong performance throughout the competition, defeating Portugal's Francisco Sousa in the round of 16 and Spain's Joan Jorquera 2-1 in a closely contested quarter-final match. This latest victory further solidifies Jendoubi's standing as a top international competitor in his weight class.
Mohamed Ali Nafti, Tunisia's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, spoke by phone with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Egyptians Abroad, on Sunday, July 26, 2026. The two ministers reaffirmed the unique nature of Tunisian-Egyptian relations and highlighted the strong historical and fraternal ties between the two countries. They welcomed the positive evolution of bilateral cooperation across several sectors and expressed a shared desire to further strengthen these relations to higher levels, serving the interests of both peoples. They also praised the outcomes of the 18th session of the Tunisian-Egyptian Joint High Commission, held in Cairo in September 2025, emphasizing the importance of regular follow-up on its conclusions. The stated objective is to give new impetus to the partnership between Tunis and Cairo, particularly in economic, commercial, and investment fields, while exploring new cooperation opportunities. Regional developments, especially the situation in Libya, were also a significant part of their discussions. Both parties expressed satisfaction with the results of the meeting of the tripartite mechanism of Libya's neighboring countries, organized in Cairo on May 21, 2026. Nafti reiterated Tunisia's consistent position in favor of preserving Libya's unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, as well as respecting its national institutions. The Tunisian minister stress