Controversy in Tunisia over Candidates Resuming Government Tasks

 Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed reacts surrounded by supporters after submitting his candidacy for the presidential elections in Tunis, Tunisia August 9, 2019. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed reacts surrounded by supporters after submitting his candidacy for the presidential elections in Tunis, Tunisia August 9, 2019. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
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Controversy in Tunisia over Candidates Resuming Government Tasks

 Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed reacts surrounded by supporters after submitting his candidacy for the presidential elections in Tunis, Tunisia August 9, 2019. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi
Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed reacts surrounded by supporters after submitting his candidacy for the presidential elections in Tunis, Tunisia August 9, 2019. REUTERS/Zoubeir Souissi

While the Independent High Authority for Elections has affirmed that the presidential and parliamentary candidates didn’t resign is not considered a ‘violation of the law’, controversy continued regarding the legality of candidates resuming their electoral journey.

Head of the Independent High Authority for Elections Nabil Baffoun noted that the authority is applying legal regulations concerning the administration's impartiality, which includes financial, human, materialistic and nonmaterialistic resources such as using government posts during the electoral campaign.

Baffoun added that there are standards adopted by the authority and the Tunisian judiciary to discriminate between the ministerial position and the electoral campaign.

Tunisian Defense Minister Abdel-Karim Zbidi – who is running for presidential elections scheduled on Sep. 15 – resigned from his ministerial position to guarantee the transparency of the electoral process.

By this step, he sparked controversy in Tunisia – however, Prime Minister Youssef Chahed didn’t let go of his post even though he is running for presidential elections. Chahed asserted that there are no legal or constitutional obstacles in this regard.

In the same context, experts at the constitutional law affirmed that Zbidi has breached chapter 92 of the Tunisian constitution.

For his part, Zbidi stated that he fell a victim for a systematic and fierce campaign that seeks to defame him – he accused several parties and bodies of standing behind this campaign.

Meanwhile, Tahya Tounes has decided to sack secretary-general in Mounstir Nabil Haddad for violating the internal system. This follows calls by Haddad, and other leaders of Mounstir, for Chahed to back off his candidacy and support Zbidi.

Mohamed Fadhel Mahfouz, in charge of relations with constitutional bodies, has resigned from his ministerial position to devote himself for the parliamentary elections.



Trump’s Middle East Envoy Says Progress Being Made on Israeli Hostages in Gaza

Smoke billows as buildings lie in ruin in the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, as seen from southern Israel, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
Smoke billows as buildings lie in ruin in the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, as seen from southern Israel, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
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Trump’s Middle East Envoy Says Progress Being Made on Israeli Hostages in Gaza

Smoke billows as buildings lie in ruin in the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, as seen from southern Israel, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)
Smoke billows as buildings lie in ruin in the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, as seen from southern Israel, January 7, 2025. (Reuters)

President-elect Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said on Tuesday he hopes to have good things to report about Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza by the time Trump is sworn in as president on Jan. 20.

Witkoff, at a press conference held by Trump in Palm Beach, Florida, said: "I'm really hopeful that by the inaugural we'll have some good things to announce on behalf of the President."

Republican Trump said of the Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas in the Oct. 7 2024 attack on Israel: "If the hostages are not back by the time I'm in office, all hell will break out in the Middle East, and it will not be good for Hamas, and it will not be good, frankly, for anyone."