Opposition Party Slams Attempts to Exclude Tunisian President from Political Scene

Tunisian Prime Minister-designate Hichem Mechichi (AFP)
Tunisian Prime Minister-designate Hichem Mechichi (AFP)
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Opposition Party Slams Attempts to Exclude Tunisian President from Political Scene

Tunisian Prime Minister-designate Hichem Mechichi (AFP)
Tunisian Prime Minister-designate Hichem Mechichi (AFP)

The People's Movement in Tunisia will confront all attempts to isolate and exclude Tunisian President Kais Saied from the political scene, its head Zouhair Maghzaoui has affirmed.

Maghzaoui said in radio statements that the battle with some influential political parties “is fabricated and aims at exerting additional pressure on Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi.”

He warned of repeated blackmailing attempts against former PMs in the past years, denying accusations that the opposition has been trying to take over the parliament by preparing to form a new alliance.

Maghzaoui also slammed statements by Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi, who stressed the parliament’s need to restore the political initiative in a modified parliamentary system.

“Attempts to undermine and weaken the parliament are taking place from within,” Ghannouchi noted.

Meanwhile, Head of the opposition Democratic Current Hichem Ajbouni said his party will hold a meeting on Sunday in the capital, Tunis.

It will be attended by leaders of the National Council and the political and executive bureau and members of the parliamentary bloc to discuss the party’s situation.

They will discuss several issues, including nominating candidates to fill the vacancy of the secretary general’s post in the National Council, following Mohamed Abbou’s resignation on Sep.2.

According to Ajbouni, former Education Minister Mohamed Hamdi has been designated as deputy secretary general of the party’s administration until the National Council convenes in the first week of October to elect a new secretary general.

Ajbouni pointed out that Sunday’s meeting will tackle future priorities of the parliamentary work, which mainly focuses on establishing the Constitutional Court, reviewing the parliament's internal system and amending the electoral law.

Possible political alliances and parliamentary fronts during the next parliamentary round will also be discussed.

According to sources close to the Democratic Current, part of the discussions will focus on launching an initiative to form a parliamentary coalition to face the one headed by Ennahda, Heart of Tunisia, and Al-Karama coalition (with 82MPs).

Sources affirmed that this coalition is aimed at creating balance in the political and parliamentary scenes and preparing for an exceptional national council session on October 3 and 4.



Berri to Asharq Al-Awsat: Resolution 1701 Only Tangible Proposal to End Lebanon Conflict

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and US envoy Amos Hochstein in Beirut. (AFP file)
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and US envoy Amos Hochstein in Beirut. (AFP file)
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Berri to Asharq Al-Awsat: Resolution 1701 Only Tangible Proposal to End Lebanon Conflict

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and US envoy Amos Hochstein in Beirut. (AFP file)
Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and US envoy Amos Hochstein in Beirut. (AFP file)

Politicians in Beirut said they have not received any credible information about Washington resuming its mediation efforts towards reaching a ceasefire in Lebanon despite reports to the contrary.

Efforts came to a halt after US envoy Amos Hochstein’s last visit to Beirut three weeks ago.

Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri dismissed the reports as media fodder, saying nothing official has been received.

Lebanon is awaiting tangible proposals on which it can build its position, he told Asharq Al-Awsat.

The only credible proposal on the table is United Nations Security Council resolution 1701, whose articles must be implemented in full by Lebanon and Israel, “not just Lebanon alone,” he stressed.

Resolution 1701 was issued to end the 2006 July war between Hezbollah and Israel and calls for removing all weapons from southern Lebanon and that the only armed presence there be restricted to the army and UN peacekeepers.

Western diplomatic sources in Beirut told Asharq Al-Awsat that Berri opposes one of the most important articles of the proposed solution to end the current conflict between Hezbollah and Israel.

He is opposed to the German and British participation in the proposed mechanism to monitor the implementation of resolution 1701. The other participants are the United States and France.

Other sources said Berri is opposed to the mechanism itself since one is already available and it is embodied in the UN peacekeepers, whom the US and France can join.

The sources revealed that the solution to the conflict has a foreign and internal aspect. The foreign one includes Israel, the US and Russia and seeks guarantees that would prevent Hezbollah from rearming itself. The second covers Lebanese guarantees on the implementation of resolution 1701.

Berri refused to comment on the media reports, but told Asharq Al-Awsat that this was the first time that discussions are being held about guarantees.

He added that “Israel is now in crisis because it has failed to achieve its military objectives, so it has resorted to more killing and destruction undeterred.”

He highlighted the “steadfastness of the UN peacekeepers in the South who have refused to leave their positions despite the repeated Israeli attacks.”