Mohammed Mzali

Mohamed Mzali محمد مزالي
File:Mohamed mzali.jpg
Prime Minister of Tunisia
In office 23 April 1980 – 8 July 1986
Preceded by	Hédi Nouira
Succeeded by	Rachid Sfar
Personal details
Born	(1925-12-23)23 December 1925 Monastir, Tunisia
Died	Paris, France
Political party	Socialist Destourian Party

Mohammed Mzali (Arabic: محمد مزالي‎‎, 23 December 1925 – 23 June 2010) was a Tunisian politician.

Early life

Mzali was born in Monastir, Tunisia in 1925. His descends from a family whose ancestor came from the Ait Mzal tribe, a Masmouda clan from the Sous who established the Hafsid dynasty in Tunisia in the 13th-century. His ancestors settled in Tunisia after coming back from the Haj in the late 17th-century.

Prime minister

Mzali was appointed Prime Minister of Tunisia by President Habib Bourguiba on 23 April 1980. In December 1983, under pressure from the International Monetary Fund, the government removed subsidies on flour and bread. This triggered the Tunisian bread riots, which were violently suppressed by the security forces with many deaths. President Bourguiba announced on 6 January 1983 that the increase in the price of bread and flour had been cancelled. He gave the impression that Mzali had not been authorized to raise prices.

The clumsy handling of the price rise damaged the position of Mzali, who had been seen as the probable successor to Bourguiba. Mzali temporarily assumed the post of Minister of the Interior. In an attempt to recover his popularity Mzali toured the provinces after the riots, promising projects to create new jobs. Mzali said, "the first lesson to be drawn from the events of January was that it is necessary to reorganise the forces of order so that they can respond adequately to all situations."

Later career

Mzali was dismissed in 1986 and fled to France. He was replaced by Rachid Sfar. Mzali wrote many books, one of them untitled "Un Premier ministre de Bourguiba témoigne". He served as a member of the International Olympic Committee from 1965 until his death. Mzali died on 23 June 2010 in Paris, France.