(TAP) – Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfakh presented his resignation to President of the Republic Kaïs Saïed on Wednesday.

On January 20, 2020, the Head of State had appointed Elyes Fakhfakh to form his government, which won a confidence vote in parliament on February 27.

Weakened by the rift between the main components of the ruling coalition, the Fakhfakh government became further bogged down in the political crisis following the case of a suspected conflict of interest hanging over its head.

Ennahdha, the first winner of the parliamentary elections and a member of the ruling coalition, - who had unsuccessfully urged the Premier to broaden his political support – called, on Monday, for talks to form a new government.

However, the President of the Republic opposed any consultations "until the Prime Minister submits his resignation or is the subject of a no confidence motion.”

For his part, Fakhfakh announced on Monday evening that he would be reshuffling the government in the coming days.

"That reshuffle would take into account the best interests of the country," he said in a statement from the Prime Ministry.

The calls for a change of government are "contrary to the principle of government solidarity and show a lack of responsibility in this delicate phase. (...) These calls "leave no doubt about Ennahdha's disengagement from its coalition partners," Fakhfakh added.

The next day, although the case involving the Prime Minister is under investigation in the parliamentary and administrative spheres, the Shura Council decided to opt for a withdrawal of confidence in the PM.

The Shura Council, a consultative body of Ennahdha, has instructed Rached Ghannouchi to implement this option in consultation with the parties, parliamentary blocs and members of the House of People's Representatives.

Ennahdha's spokesperson Imed Khemiri explained his party's decision by "the latest developments on the political scene", placing it within the framework of respect for constitutional mechanisms.