| 26 January 2013 | 8 Comments
 
 

Mokhtar Chaouachi sits at the African Union’s assembly

ADDIS ABABA – The sitting Tunisian ambassador to the African Union, Mokhtar Chaouachi, has been nominated as the next ambassador of Tunisia to the U.S. This will not be his first U.S. experience as he was counselor of the Permanent Mission of Tunisia at the United Nations in New York city from 1993 to 2002.

The nomination of Tunisia’s ambassador to Washington was subject to a long negotiation within Tunisia’s governing Troïka coalition. Radwan Masmoudi, founder and president of the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy, was Ennahdha’s party’s choice and backed by Ettakatol party as well. Masmoudi’s nomination was vetoed nevertheless by President Moncef Marzouki.

The CPR party to which Marzouki belongs seemed to favor a career diplomat rather than a political or independent figure for the ambassadorial position in Washington.

“I heard that the ruling Troïka reached an agreement over nominating Tunisia’s current ambassador to Ethiopia. I know that it is President Marzouki, who insisted that the appointment of Tunisia’s ambassador to the United States not be political,” said Masmoudi over a phone interview with Tunisia Live.

Masmoudi explained that 15% of diplomatic appointments are generally political, especially in countries with which Tunisia has strategic partnerships.

“For instance, the Tunisian ambassador to France is a member of Ettakatol party because France is one of Tunisia’s most important partners. The same thing should have happened in the case of the United States with which we have major interests,” he added.

“But what I heard is that Marzouki took a firm stand and insisted on appointing a diplomat and not a political figure,” concluded Masmoudi.

Chaouachi (L) stands with his colleagues

In reaction to his appointment, Ambassador Chaouachi told Tunisia Live, “I am proud to be nominated to serve the new Tunisia in Washington. We have a long friendship with the people of the United States, and we cherish similar values, such as democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.”

Ambassador Chaouachi is known by his colleagues at the African Union to be a sophisticated, warm, elegant, and hard-working diplomat. He is a man of dialogue and responsive to the needs of his colleagues.

“I dedicated my life to diplomacy, and I am passionate about my job every single day,” said Chaouachi.

 

 

Click here for Ambassador Chaouachi’s Bio


Comments (8)

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  1. Leo Africanus says:
    28 January 2013 at 03:46

    deciding to overlook that Masmoudi (an opportunist par excellence) is at last a good decision.

    Reply
  2. exult49 says:
    27 January 2013 at 22:54

    The tunisian troika need much more than a “sophisticated” african diplomat to convince the State Dept of their democracy!Even with educated manners the government policy is rude, highly confessional, discriminating and above all made by a bunch of monkies.

    Reply
  3. Nejib says:
    27 January 2013 at 15:08

    A career diplomat to represent all Tunisians and not just the few members and sympathizers of the Ennahda SECT/CULT in the US, as would have been the case with the other pushy candidate, the Tunisian-American Islamist and pro-Ennahda lobbyist in Washington, who, as a former employee of the “National Endowment for Democracy”, used this opportunity to launch, alongside other American Islamists, the so-called “Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy ” which doesn’t not study much, but whose real mission was primarily to lobby the U.S. to accept the idea of an ​​Islamism supposedly “moderate” a la Ennahda, and secondarily to allegedly promote democracy among Islamists in Muslim lands.

    Reply
  4. Tunisian says:
    26 January 2013 at 18:15

    I was trying to say if there were any values both countries share, it would not be democracy or the rule of law. Now, I’m average Tunisian young man but I can tell you how my country fellows of men and women think. It’s very unfortunate how different are our perceptions of the state and law are. However, I think principles, must they be politically unmotived, like respect, religious tolerance and economic parternships are more appeling to us. You must understand that democracy, laws that are man-made can be used to serve for different purposes (For the purposes these laws weren’t created for). As for the people, the mass is totally ignorant to realize that. Democracy might have worked for the west solely because powerful men and decision makers have been successful at concealing and hiding the bad of it.

    Back to the topic of the article. The next ambassador must be a man with no political affluence. I think this guy, though I disagree with him on few subjects, and with regards to his brilliant portfalio, should be the man for the job which to serve the interests of our expats in the united states of America.

    Reply
    • mark says:
      27 January 2013 at 00:53

      thanks for replying i appreciate it. I really hear your frustration and although I am not there full time I can also understand it. The job of an Ambassador is not to be partial to only the expats but to work to build bridges between both countries. So I really hope that progress is made. We all have to try to find some common ground so if this man with all his faults or not can achieve something then I back him. I hope that this leaves those who are supposed to govern to get on and do something for the people who need to see progress and progress that affects everyone in a powerful positive way.

      I will end by saying that Democracy is certainly not without fault but it gives a framework for people to operate within. That framework can be challenged and changed in may ways. I would be grateful for any framework in Tunisia now so that the people would at least no whether they have something…anything of value. However with nothing there is nothing to support or fight against. The USA is a Republic…I am not sure of any country follows the idealistic Democracy models not sure they even exist but frameworks are useful.

      Reply
  5. mark says:
    26 January 2013 at 15:23

    Finally a good decision. There should be no politics pushed in a diplomatic appointment and I hope he does a better job than the idiot that was in the US before….cos he was a total waste of space. Tunisia really needs to be understood by people it expects to receive aid from and form economic partnerships with. Hope this guy does a good job

    Reply
  6. Tunisian says:
    26 January 2013 at 13:37

    Our psychologically unstable puppet president made a point for the first time. We need a man of no political influence. Nevertheless, I’m disappointed by our ambassador to the United States statement regarding the values of the Tunisian people, the so called “Rule of law” which he obviously meant by the rule of man-made law to be more precise.

    Reply
    • mark says:
      26 January 2013 at 15:27

      did he mis represent the Tunisian people when he spoke of ‘similar’ values. When dealing with other countries there needs to be recognition that most countries do live by laws that were agreed by the population. Not sure i understand your point. Please clarify if you care to. Thanks

      Reply

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