Tunisia’s Saied Refuses to Meet with Ghannouchi, Mechichi to Resolve Political Crisis

 Tunisian President Kais Saied (Reuters)
Tunisian President Kais Saied (Reuters)
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Tunisia’s Saied Refuses to Meet with Ghannouchi, Mechichi to Resolve Political Crisis

 Tunisian President Kais Saied (Reuters)
Tunisian President Kais Saied (Reuters)

Tunisia’s President Kais Saied refused a proposal to attend a round table meeting with Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi and Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, according to leader in Ennahda Movement Ali Larayedh.

Ghannouchi proposed organizing the dialogue, in an attempt to overcome the ongoing four-month-long political crisis in the country, said Larayedh.

Saied also refused to organize a national dialogue and ignored an initiative in this regard by the Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT).

Observers consider Saied’s position a “disruption to the constitution” that enabled him to win the presidential race, he added, affirming that the disagreement among various parties “is not simple” but could be resolved through negotiations.

Larayedh also accuses Saied of “disrespecting” other parties, which led to the failure of all dialogue attempts.

He further refused to “play his constitutional role, which stipulates holding meetings with the PM and the parliament speaker to consult, define the state policy and preserve Tunisia’s supreme interest.”

Larayedh said the President is putting more obstacles against the government formation, citing his refusal to accept the cabinet reshuffle and receive the new ministers for the constitutional oath.

“Saied also refused to sign the constitutional court law amendments introduced by the parliament and called for toppling the government.”

Commenting on Mechichi’s government, Larayedh said “it is strongly supported by the parliamentary coalition, which enabled it to survive despite repeated calls to topple it.”

Saied sought in every way to “obstruct the government work and disrupt the work of state institutions by threatening, intimidating and dividing Tunisians,” he stressed.



US General Sees Progress as Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Deadline Approaches in Lebanon

 A general view shows damage and debris in the southern Lebanese village of al-Taybeh, near the border with Israel, on February 4, 2025. (AFP)
A general view shows damage and debris in the southern Lebanese village of al-Taybeh, near the border with Israel, on February 4, 2025. (AFP)
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US General Sees Progress as Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Deadline Approaches in Lebanon

 A general view shows damage and debris in the southern Lebanese village of al-Taybeh, near the border with Israel, on February 4, 2025. (AFP)
A general view shows damage and debris in the southern Lebanese village of al-Taybeh, near the border with Israel, on February 4, 2025. (AFP)

The US representative on a committee overseeing the ceasefire agreement that ended the latest Israel-Hezbollah war said Friday that “significant progress” had been made ahead of a looming deadline to implement all the terms of the deal.

However, Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers' statement appeared to leave some ambiguity on whether Israel would withdraw its forces from all of southern Lebanon by the ceasefire's Feb. 18 deadline, saying only that he was confident “all population centers in the Southern Litani Area” would be back under Lebanese control by then.

In areas where Israeli forces pull out, the Lebanese army and a UN peacekeeping force known as UNIFIL are tasked with ensuring Hezbollah does not reestablish a military presence.

The deadline for Israel and Hezbollah to withdraw was initially set for late January, but Israel and Lebanon agreed to extend it. Lebanese officials say they won't agree to another extension and adamantly reject an Israeli proposal to keep its forces in five border points after leaving other areas.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said Thursday that his country had proposed a beefed-up UNIFIL presence, including French forces, in place of Israeli troops at those five points. The monitoring committee also includes France, Lebanon, Israel and UNIFIL.