Tunisia PM Quits, Political Crisis Deepens

Local Editor

Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali said on Tuesday that he has submitted his resignation to President Moncef Marzouki, after failing to form a new government aimed at ending a political crisis.

"I promised and assured that, in the event that my initiative failed, I would resign as head of the government, and that is what I have done," Jebali said in remarks broadcast on television after meeting Marzouki.
Jebali, whose efforts to form a government of technocrats was rebuffed on Monday by his own an-Nahda party, said he was standing down to "fulfill a promise made to the people."
"This is a big disappointment," he said. "Our people are disillusioned by the political class. We must restore confidence."
Jebali said he had called on his cabinet to continue to do the "utmost to ensure that the state continues to function."

"The failure of my initiative does not mean the failure of Tunisia or the failure of the revolution," he added, referring to the country's uprising two years ago to oust a long-time dictator.
In parallel, he added that he was convinced that a non-political team "is the best way to save the country from wandering off track."
He also said it was urgently necessary to set a date for future elections.

Meanwhile, the resignation is expected to further deepen the country's political crisis, which also prompted an international ratings agency to downgrade the government's credit rating Tuesday.

Jebali, who had warned of chaos if his plan fell through, made a last-ditch effort to push for "another solution" to the long-running crisis in a meeting with President Moncef Marzouki.
The resignation came the same day that international ratings agency Standard & Poor's downgraded the Tunisian government's credit rating over political instability, a blow to the North African nation's already-struggling economy.
The 63-year-old said he was convinced a nonpolitical team "is the best way to save the country from wandering off track."

While other candidates might emerge to fill the job, it is possible Marzouki will ask Jebali to try again. But Jebali said he would not sign on again with "any initiative that does not fix a date for new elections. What about the constitution? What about elections?"
As well as the row over the new government, there is deadlock over the drafting of a constitution, with parliament divided over the nature of Tunisia's future political system 15 months after it was elected.

Names being mentioned are those of Health Minister Abdelatif Mekki and Justice Minister Moureddine Bhiri.
An-Nahda leader Rached Ghannouchi said on Facebook that he would meet Marzouki Wednesday to discuss the party's candidate for the job.


Source: News agencies, Edited by moqawama.org