Tunisian Prime Minister-designate Elyes Fakhfakh announced on Saturday evening the composition of his future government, but the withdrawal of one of its main partners, the Islamist-inspired party Ennahdha, makes his fate uncertain.
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Mr. Fakhfakh, former finance minister, was appointed after the failure of a first cabinet formed under the leadership of Ennahdha after the legislative elections of October 6, and largely rejected by the Parliament. Among the list of ministers announced this Saturday evening, several are from Ennahdha, although this party announced earlier today that it is withdrawing from government.
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" Ennahdha's decision puts us in a difficult situation which forces us to study the legal and constitutional possibilities ," said the Prime Minister-designate. " We decided with the President of the Republic to take advantage of what remains of constitutional duration " to continue to seek a solution, he added, hinting that the list could in particular be modified.
Fakhfakh was appointed on January 20 by President Kais Saied to form a cabinet within a month that could convince the majority of deputies.
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"He doesn't have many days left"
Ennahdha demands the formation of a government of national unity including the second party in Parliament, Qalb Tounès, a liberal party led by media mogul Nabil Karoui, prosecuted for tax fraud, but he had been excluded from the negotiations.
" Ennahdha has decided not to participate in or vote for confidence in a government that would have been too weak " [without the participation of Qalb Tounès, editor's note], Abdelkarim Harouni, chairman of the choura council told AFP Ennahdha, the party's advisory body. " Mr. Fakfakh can still negotiate, but he does not have many days left, " said Harouni, considering the possibility, if Mr. Fakhfakh does not present a cabinet, that President Saied will appoint a new head of government.
In the absence of a government by March 15, Mr. Saied will have the opportunity to dissolve Parliament and call early elections. Tunisia is the only country affected by the uprisings in the Arab world in 2011 to continue on the path of democratization. A four-year program of the International Monetary Fund ends in April without the Tunisian state having managed to carry out the reforms necessary to revive the economy.
