Tunisian President announces 'national dialogue' without critical opposition groups
May 2, 2022, 4:15 pm

Tunisian President announces 'national dialogue' without critical opposition groups

Kais Saied-Tunisia president-Facebook page

The Anews reported, citing the AFP, Tunisian President Kais Saied has announced the launch of "national dialogue" to help resolve a political crisis following his controversial power grab, but excluding critical opposition groups.

Saied, a former law professor elected in 2019 amid public anger against the political class in the North African nation, sacked the government on July 25 last year, later moving to rule by decree in moves opponents dubbed a "coup".

In a speech late Sunday, Saied said a commission would manage "the national dialogue", a measure demanded repeatedly by the G7 nations and European Union.

Saied's proposed talks will include four groups which, together as the "National Dialogue Quartet", jointly won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2015 for its work in building what was, at the time, the only democracy that emerged from the 2011 Arab Spring.

Tunisian President Kais Saied has announces the launch of "national dialogue" without opposition

The four groups are the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (UTICA), the Tunisian Human Rights League and the Tunisian Order of Lawyers.

On Sunday, UGTT leader Noureddine Taboubi appealed to Saied to launch the national dialogue, saying it was "probably the last chance" to bring the country together and avoid "a dismantling of the state and a financial and economic collapse".

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But Saied ruled out participation in the talks of those "who sabotaged, starved and mistreated the people", suggesting it would not include parties and civil society organisations which have denounced his seizure of power.

That would cover his arch rivals, the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party.

Ennahdha, which has played a central role in Tunisian politics since the revolution that overthrew dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011, is part of the National Salvation Front coalition, forged last month between five political parties and five civil society groups.

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Saied also said that a committee preparing constitutional reforms for "a New Republic" will be completed soon, with a referendum on the proposals slated for July 25, followed by legislative elections on December 17.

Tunisia is also gripped by a dire social and economic crisis, and has been seeking a loan package from the International Monetary Fund.

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Washington, the largest stakeholder in the IMF, has said Tunis must address concerns on democracy if it wants badly needed international economic support.

Source: anews

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Upon arriving to participate in the summit of the European Political Community, which includes around forty heads of state in Budapest, he said, "I look forward to sitting with the elected U.S. president and seeing how we will collectively ensure we meet challenges, including the threats from Russia and North Korea." He also noted that the strengthening of ties between Russia and North Korea poses a threat to the United States as well, according to reports from Agence France-Presse.

Before Trump's victory, Rutte expressed confidence that a united Washington would remain part of the defensive alliance, even if Trump became the 47th president of the United States. In an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF last Monday night, he stated that both Republicans and Democrats understand that NATO serves not only the security of Europe but also that of America. He added that both candidates are aware that the security of the United States is closely tied to NATO.

On Wednesday, NATO congratulated Trump on his victory but did not address the Ukrainian issue.

It is noteworthy that the relationship between the elected U.S. president and the defense alliance was not the best during his first term in the White House. Trump criticized NATO member states multiple times and even hinted at withdrawing from the alliance unless they increased their financial contributions.

Additionally, the issue of the Russian-Ukrainian war is one of the matters that complicate relations between the two sides, especially since Trump has repeatedly stated that he can end this ongoing conflict, which began in 2022, quickly. He implied that he had a peace plan between Kyiv and Moscow, while his vice president, JD Vance, revealed aspects of that plan, which stipulated Ukraine's commitment not to join NATO, thereby sending reassuring signals to the Russians.

Furthermore, many NATO member states in Europe fear that Trump might halt military aid to Ukraine after he previously criticized the U.S. for pouring funds into supporting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.