Tunisian President Accuses PM of Secret Alliance

Tunisian president, Beji Caid Essebsi, has accused the country’s prime minister of secretly brokering a deal with an Islamist party in order to gain power.

Speaking to a media outlet on Tuesday, 29 January, the 92-year-old politician claimed that Prime Minister Youssef Chahed of allying himself with the Islamist Ennadha Party to stand in the presidential elections in November.

Essebi said: “Chahed wants to stay in power. Ennahda understood his ambitions and dealt with him intelligently. They pushed him to create a new party that would share power with Ennahda after the 2019 elections.”

Essebi appointed Chahed to his position in 2016, but relations between the two soured after the prime minister had a falling out with the president’s secularist party, Nidaa Tounes, in 2017. With Ennadha’s backing, he was able to retain his position.

Ennadha has yet to put forward a presidential candidate. However, with Chahed forming a new political movement, Tahia Tounes, rumours that he will run for presidency and ally the party with Ennadha have strengthened.

Image: Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi. [online image] (2019) sourced on 31 January 2019 from: https://www.arabstoday.net/en/img/2015/09/normal/arabstoday-111news16.jpg