Tunisia’s Free Destourian Party Challenges Ennahda Movement’s Legitimacy

Some supporters of Head of Tunisia’s opposition Free Destourian Party Abir Moussa, who accuses Ennahda Party of executing the Muslim Brotherhood’s agenda in Tunisia (EPA)
Some supporters of Head of Tunisia’s opposition Free Destourian Party Abir Moussa, who accuses Ennahda Party of executing the Muslim Brotherhood’s agenda in Tunisia (EPA)
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Tunisia’s Free Destourian Party Challenges Ennahda Movement’s Legitimacy

Some supporters of Head of Tunisia’s opposition Free Destourian Party Abir Moussa, who accuses Ennahda Party of executing the Muslim Brotherhood’s agenda in Tunisia (EPA)
Some supporters of Head of Tunisia’s opposition Free Destourian Party Abir Moussa, who accuses Ennahda Party of executing the Muslim Brotherhood’s agenda in Tunisia (EPA)

Head of Tunisia’s opposition Free Destourian Party Abir Moussa has challenged the legal license granted to Ennahda Islamic Movement since January 2011.

Moussa stressed in a press conference on Tuesday that Ennahda was “formed in contradiction to the legal formulas.”

She presented a document signed by Head of the Movement Rached Ghannouchi, dating back to January 28, 2011.

The document includes a permit to establish the movement, while Ghannouchi was not at the time in the country, which makes it possible to “challenge the legitimacy of licensing the movement in political activity,” she noted.

After submitting a request to the Ministry of Relations with Constitutional Bodies, Civil Society, and Human Rights to have access to information, Moussa said she was able to obtain the legal file for the Movement’s establishment and found out it was “illegal and the documents included are not complete.”

The opposition leader stressed she will file an appeal before the Administrative Court to cancel the license, while preserving the right to resort to legal proceedings against whoever facilitated and participated in granting Ennahda the license.

Moussa affirmed she will sue former Interior minister Farhat Rajhi for granting a license for Ennahda in 2011 without meeting legal requirements.

It is noteworthy that Ennahda Movement was banned from the political activity during the ruling of Presidents Habib Bourguiba and Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali.

It regained its position in the political scene after the 2011 revolution and became one of the most present and influential political parties.

The Free Destourian Party has recently submitted a bill to the parliament, in which it proposed classifying the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization.

According to observers, this bill mainly targets Ennahda Movement, as Moussa accuses it of not abandoning its relationship with the organization and still representing a branch for it in Tunisia despite being classified as terrorist by some countries.



US Ambassador to Lebanon 'Very Happy' over Aoun's Election as President

People carry national flags as they hold a moment of silence marking the one-year anniversary of Beirut's port blast, near the site of the explosion in Beirut, Lebanon August 4, 2021. REUTERS/Emilie Madi Purchase Licensing Rights
People carry national flags as they hold a moment of silence marking the one-year anniversary of Beirut's port blast, near the site of the explosion in Beirut, Lebanon August 4, 2021. REUTERS/Emilie Madi Purchase Licensing Rights
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US Ambassador to Lebanon 'Very Happy' over Aoun's Election as President

People carry national flags as they hold a moment of silence marking the one-year anniversary of Beirut's port blast, near the site of the explosion in Beirut, Lebanon August 4, 2021. REUTERS/Emilie Madi Purchase Licensing Rights
People carry national flags as they hold a moment of silence marking the one-year anniversary of Beirut's port blast, near the site of the explosion in Beirut, Lebanon August 4, 2021. REUTERS/Emilie Madi Purchase Licensing Rights

US ambassador to Lebanon Lisa Johnson said she was "very happy" over Lebanese army commander Joseph Aoun's election as president on Thursday, ending a more than two-year vacuum in the post.

Johnson and other foreign envoys had attended Thursday's session at the Lebanese parliament in which Aoun was elected.

For its part, France's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday said the election of a new Lebanese president turns a new page for the country and must now be followed by the appointment of a new government capable of carrying out reforms.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said that a new government will have carry out reforms necessary for Lebanon's economic recovery, stability, security and sovereignty, and added that France calls on all Lebanese political leaders and authorities to work towards those goals.