Tunisia to Form Committee to Write 'New Republic' Constitution

Tunisian President Kais Saied (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Tunisian President Kais Saied (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Tunisia to Form Committee to Write 'New Republic' Constitution

Tunisian President Kais Saied (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Tunisian President Kais Saied (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Tunisian President Kais Saied announced Sunday the formation of a committee to draft a constitution for a “New Republic”, saying it will conclude its work within a few days.

In a televised speech, Saied added that the national dialogue on reforms will include four main organizations, referring to the General Labor Union (UGTT), the lawyers’ union, the Federation of Industry and trade and the Tunisian League of Human Rights.

He said that those who supported the measures he took last July can participate in the dialogue, while "traitors and non-nationalists" will not participate.

Saied had suspended the parliament on July 25 and then dissolved it, a move that his rivals described as a coup.

The Labor Union called on Saied to "immediately initiate" a national dialogue, saying it is the last chance to overcome the economic and political crisis.

UGTT Secretary-General Noureddine Taboubi warned in a speech on the occasion of Labor Day that “the current state of ambiguity and exclusivity” could exacerbate the situation leading to a state of collapse, according to “al-Shaab” newspaper.



Israeli Ground Troops in Lebanon Reach the Litani River

Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the southern Lebanese town of Al-Khiam, as seen from northern Israel, 26 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)
Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the southern Lebanese town of Al-Khiam, as seen from northern Israel, 26 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)
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Israeli Ground Troops in Lebanon Reach the Litani River

Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the southern Lebanese town of Al-Khiam, as seen from northern Israel, 26 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)
Smoke rises as a result of an Israeli airstrike on the southern Lebanese town of Al-Khiam, as seen from northern Israel, 26 November 2024, amid cross-border hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel. (EPA)

The Israeli military says its ground troops have reached parts of Lebanon’s Litani River — a focal point of the emerging ceasefire.

In a statement Tuesday, the army said it had reached the Wadi Slouqi area in southern Lebanon and clashed with Hezbollah forces.

Under a proposed ceasefire, Hezbollah would be required to move its forces north of the Litani, which in some places is some 30 kilometers (20 miles) north of the Israeli border.

The military says the clashes with Hezbollah took place on the eastern end of the Litani, just a few kilometers (miles) from the border. It is one of the deepest places Israeli forces have reached in a nearly two-month ground operation.

The military says soldiers destroyed rocket launchers and missiles and engaged in “close-quarters combat” with Hezbollah forces.

The announcement came hours before Israel’s security Cabinet is expected to approve a ceasefire that would end nearly 14 months of fighting.