Munther al-Onisi, member of Ennahda’s Shura Council, said that Rached Ghannouchi has announced his intention not to run for a third party leadership term, in a sign that he was seeking to distance himself from efforts to extend the tenure of the movement’s leader.
He added that Ghannouchi has not considered the amendment of Article 31 of the movement’s bylaws, which states that “no member has the right to assume the leadership of the party for more than two consecutive terms.”
The meeting of the Shura Council last Sunday witnessed rising tension between those seeking to keep Ghannouchi as party leader and other members demanding a rotation in the movement’s presidency.
According to media reports, up to 63 of the 111 Council members who had attended the meeting, withdrew from the 44th session.
However, Ennahda denied it in a statement, saying that only 24 of them had left the session.
The tumult resulted in the indefinite postponement of Ennahda’s electoral conference, which was initially scheduled to be held on Dec.15-17.
Furthermore, parliamentary sources revealed that the last Secretary-General of the dissolved Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD), Mohamed Ghariani, has not taken up his duty as an advisor to Ghannouchi despite his appointment three weeks ago.
Choosing a figure from the former regime to handle the delicate issue of reconciliation has been a matter of dispute among Ennahda members, sources said. Some deputies rejected his appointment and vowed to ban him from entering the parliament.
In this context, two Shura Council members proposed an initiative to restructure Ennahda.
Faouzi Jaballah, who took part in this initiative, recommended the abolishment of some of the party’s institutions and replacing them with new ones.
The initiative includes abolishing the Shura Council and the Executive Council, which would constitute an unprecedented move since Ennahda’s establishment half a century ago.
