Tunisia 's new interim prime minister filled the vacancies in his cabinet Monday by naming five technocrats to replace the five ministers who resigned from the country's interim government last week, reported dpa.
Beji Caïd Essebsi, who replaced Mohammed Ghannouchi as interim prime minister eight days ago, appointed new ministers of industry and technology, planning and international cooperation, higher education, regional development and minister in the prime minister's office.
All other members of the 22-strong cabinet remain the same.
The changes mean that, apart from Essebsi, who served as prime minister under Tunisia's first post-independence leader Habib Bourguiba, the government is entirely composed of technocrats.
The interim government first put in place after autocratic ex-president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali was ousted by a popular uprising in mid-January included several ministers from Ben Ali's regime as well as several opposition members.
The Ben Ali-era ministers, including Ghannouchi, were all eventually forced to resign after their presence in the government triggered protests.
The last of the opposition ministers also walked away from the government last week, saying they would better serve the country from the sidelines.
Tunisia was the first North African country to oust a dictatorial leader through street protests. Egypt followed a month later.
The first milestone in Tunisia's transition to democracy is July 24, when elections will be held to choose the people that will draw up a new constitution.