Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi announced that the 5-year consensus with a member of the national unity government coalition, Islamic movement Ennhadha, has been terminated, stressing that elections would take place as scheduled in December next year.
There is no longer consensus for a connection between Beji and Ennahda, according to the President.
President Essebsi said in an interview on Elhiwar Ettounsi TV channel, that “we decided to cut the ties at the request of Ennahda. It wants consensus with the government headed by Youssef Chahed”.
Commenting on the calls to expedite the upcoming presidential and legislative elections, Essebsi said: “The elections will be held on their scheduled time, on December 2019. There will be no expedition or postponement.”
Since the 2014 elections, Nidaa Tounes and Ennahdha parties have been in political agreement and they shared all political decisions in the country.
The coalition has often been criticized by supporters, but Essebsi and Ennahdha head Rached Ghannouchi always defended their choices.
During the interview, the President also denied reports that he was preparing his son to rule, describing any talk about political succession as unjust. He called for a national conference to change the party’s leadership.
He also decided to activate article 99 of the constitution by inviting the current prime minister Chahed to renew his political legitimacy to overcome the political crisis.
Essebsi also recognized he no longer had the same political powers to pressure Chahed, who was now backed by Ennahdha and National Coalition, the parliamentary bloc.
Most political analyses concluded that Chahed came out victorious in his war with the president's son, and his political ambition in the upcoming election has become clearer, but it was impossible for him to return to the party.
A group of opposition parties attacked the current ruling coalition, led by Ennahdha and Nidaa Tounes, stressing that from its outset, the political consensus was established on limited political interests.
In this regard, head of People’s Popular Movement, Zuhair al-Maghazawi, told Asharq Al-Awsat that the consensus mentioned by the Tunisian president was deceptive from its formation and led to weakening the government and creating problems.
Meanwhile, spokesman of Ennahdha, Imad Khumeiri, indicated the movement did not end the consensus with the President of the Republic, neither did it ask him to do so.
He asserted Ennahdha's keenness to maintain national consensus and continue the dialogue with the President, confirming the movement’s adherence to the outcomes of the Paris meeting.
Khumeiri added that Beji received political support from Ennahdha, noting that political crises can’t be overcome without dialogue. He said that the movement was not involved in the internal issues of Nidaa party, which negatively affected the country.
"Ennahdha will always focus on the consensual process with the president and the divergence of points of view absolutely does not mean breaking the approach of dialogue," Khumeiri said.
