Ghannouchi Opposes Calls to Dissolve Tunisian Parliament

Arab World

March 22nd, 8:17am

Tunis - Mongi Saidani

Police prevent Tunisian protesters from heading to the parliament building in Tunis during a rally on January 26. (AFP)

Tunisia's Speaker Rached Ghannouchi implicitly opposed calls to dissolve the parliament and to hold early elections to overcome the political impasse in the country. Ghannouchi, who also chairs the Ennahda Movement, said at a political seminar marking Independence Day that “it is out of the question today to dissolve the parliament unless it is unable to fulfill one of its main functions, namely, to form a government.” He said that the very idea of a parliament has always existed in the country's independence project and in the Tunisian political culture. “Today, there are some who call for the dissolution of the parliament, which is paradoxical.” The speaker asserted that the 2011 Revolution “does not break with the state of independence” established by late president Habib Bourguiba, saying it is an opportunity to catch up with social justice and equity between the regions. Despite Ennahda’s criticism of the independent state established in 1965, Ghannouchi said it has made several achievements for the people, especially in the education and health sectors and in cementing stability. It has, however, failed on some levels, such as politics when “it prosecuted its opponents from all political backgrounds, including the Islamist movement,” he argued A number of opposition political parties including Tahya Tounes, led by Youssef Chahed, the National Coalition, led by Neji Jalloul, and Tunisia Forward, chaired by Abid Briki, have demanded the dissolution of parliament. They called for early parliamentary elections to restore political balance and overcome the deadlock in the country. Briki told Asharq Al-Awsat that early elections are a possible scenario, adding it is necessary “to introduce a number of legal amendments to prepare Tunisia for a different stage,” including the amendment of the electoral law “to remove corrupt figures from the political scene.”

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/2874206/ghannouchi-opposes-calls-dissolve-tunisian-parliament