Tunisian Defense Minister Abdelkarim Zbidi slammed on Thursday political parties in his country saying they are "responsible for the crisis that has plagued Tunisia for years now."
"The political turmoil observed in Tunisia, during the last seven years, has only fed huge failures including security disorder," Zbidi warned in a statement to the German Press Agency at the funeral of the two soldiers who died on Wednesday in a mine explosion during a military combing of counterterrorism units.
Zbidi’s statement comes as Tunisia faces an economic and political crisis, including that within the ruling party itself, Nidaa Tounes.
There are also differences among government coalition parties on dismissing or keeping the current government, one year before the scheduled elections in 2019. Notably, the current government is the ninth since the beginning of the political transition in 2011.
During the political transition period, Tunisia was subjected to bloody terrorist attacks that killed dozens, mostly tourists, military and security personnel.
“Political disputes, the economic and social conditions and the fragility of the security situation are the reasons behind the deaths of the two martyrs,” Zbide said.
He stressed that political figures, "who claim that the people have elected them, will witness the day when they will be held accountable by the people for everything that has happened in the country since granting them confidence.”
The Defense Minister explained that stability is important to achieve economic growth, yet it is not enough to solve Tunisians’ economic and social problems.
In this context, Head of Democratic Forum for Labor and Liberties Khalil Zaouia called for providing conditions for the success of the upcoming elections, avoiding partisan quarrels, accelerating the election of the head of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), electing new members for one third of the Commission itself as well as supporting the judiciary and the financial pole to play their role in fighting corruption and establishing the principle of non-impunity despite its inclusion to the law of reconciliation.
Zaouia told Asharq Al-Awsat that the aim of these measures is to "set a clear roadmap that prepares the country for presidential and parliamentary elections, respects the law and enables different political parties to have equal opportunities to compete”.
