The expanded cabinet reshuffle in Tunisia integrated the return of senior ministers from the regime of ex President Zine El Abidine ben Ali in spite of ongoing debate over national reconciliation.

The most prominent feature of the reorder was the appointment of senior security official Lotfi Brahim as interior minister, replacing ex security minister Hadi Majdoub.

Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed also reassigned Ridha Chalghoum, an ex finance minister close to the ruling Nidaa Tounes party, to the same position.

Radhouane Ayara, a former member of the dissolved Democratic Constitutional Rally Party, became the minister of transport, & Naziha Laabidi, an ex member of the National Progressive Unionist Party's central committee, became the minister of women, family & children.

Hatem Ben Salem, a former diplomat & the last minister of education in Ben Ali's regime, was named to fill the same post, which has been vacant since the dismissal of ex minister Naji Jalul last April despite reservations by syndicate & opposition parties.