Tunis: An agreement is imminent on a new national unity government for Tunisia to resolve the simmering political crisis brought on by the assassination of an opposition politician, the leader of the powerful Islamist party said.
Rashid Gannouchi, leader of the moderate Islamist Al Nahda party, said that a new government is expected to be announced in two or three days, as the country that kicked off the pro-democracy uprisings of the Arab Spring teeters on the edge of a political crisis.
“We are on the road to an understanding following intense discussions Sunday with the political parties and the groups in the national assembly, which continue Monday,” he said. “We are moving toward forming a government of national union.”
Meanwhile, Tunisian President Munsif Marzouki’s secular party said that it would stay in the coalition government, pending the resignation of key ministers from the ruling Islamist party.
“We have decided to freeze our decision to withdraw our ministers from the government, but if in one week we don’t see any changes, we will quit the government,” said the party chief of the Congress for the Republic, Mohammad Abu.
He stressed that the CPR opposed the formation of a government of technocrats announced by Jebali, whose Islamist Ennahda party has already opposed the plan.
Last week’s assassination of Shukri Belaid resulted in days of rioting after many held the government responsible for his death, and came as negotiations to widen the governing coalition had been deadlocked.
Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali, also of Al Nahda, proposed a government of technocrats to lead the country and resolve the crisis, in tacit acknowledgement that the coalition of Al Nahda and two other secular parties had not succeeded in tackling the country’s economic woes or the rise of violence in politics.
Jebali’s move was hailed by the opposition, but rejected by his own party, and Gannouchi’s latest statement suggests Al Nahda has come up with an alternative of its own that would keep it in control of key ministries.
Jebali said that a non-partisan government was the only way to resolve the crisis, finish the constitution and set up new elections, but observers say many in Al Nahda fear losing power.
The funeral of Belaid, whose left-wing Popular Front coalition of parties had few seats in the assembly, witnessed a massive outpouring of support and was widely interpreted as a sign of growing popular dislike for the Islamists.
