Flag raising at the Kasbah on the morning of second anniversary of the January 14 revolution

As negotiations for the delayed cabinet reshuffle drag on, a wave of actual and threatened resignations has exposed political tensions within the ruling Troïka alliance.

According to a press release issued yesterday, President Moncef Marzouki will not agree to maintain his position if the government is dominated by one political party. Several Tunisian media sources translated this announcement as a threat to resign if Ennahdha excludes candidates of other parties from main ministerial posts.

Within the past two weeks, both Lotfi Zitoun, a representative of Ennahdha and adviser at the Prime Ministry, and Samir Ben Amor, a representative of Congress for the Republic (CPR), officially resigned from their positions within the government. Although they reported their resignations were for personal reasons, it has been widely speculated that they were politically motivated.

Another representative of Ennahdha and adviser at the Prime Ministry, Abou Yaareb Marzouki, has announced his intent to resign on his official Facebook page. Marzouki said his desire to leave the government was prompted by conflict within the Troika alliance. He argued that the ruling parties are distracted by a struggle for leadership.

In a statement following an exceptional Shura council meeting Saturday, Ennahdha announced that the party will not depend solely on the Troïka alliance when making choices for the next cabinet. As a result, rumors and speculation spread throughout press and social media about a potential dissolution of the Troïka agreement.

Mohamed Bennour, spokesperson of the Ettakatol party, told Tunisia Live that his party’s main demand is for the appointment of an independent Minister of Justice in the next cabinet reshuffle.

“We are holding on to our stance. …Ennahdha has a big responsibility of whether to make this transition successful or not,” he said.

“Prudence is needed during this sensitive period,” Bennour added.

If Ennahdha ignores the party’s demands, Ettakatol will leave the Troïka coalition, according to Bennour.

Zoubeir Chhoudi, a member of Ennahdha’s Shura council, told Tunisia Live that the cabinet reshuffle should be announced within the next few hours.