Prime Minister announces his resignation Tuesday evening (Courtesy of the Tunisian presidency’s official Facebook page)

Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali announced Tuesday evening that he had submitted his resignation to President Moncef Marzouki.

“My resignation does not mean I quit my duties towards this country,” Jebali said to the press gathered at the Presidential palace in Carthage.

Besides his declaration that he will not run in the next elections, the prime minister only gave vague conditions for a future rentry into politics following Tuesday’s resignation.

“The government has to avoid political tensions… I will not be part of a similar experience where the date of the elections is not specified,” he said.

He added that he had intended to follow through with an earlier promise that if his initiative to create a non-partisan, technocratic government failed, then he would step down from his position as head of the government.

“I wanted to keep my promise and that’s why I resigned,” stated the prime minister.

Jebali reaffirmed his belief that a technocratic government is the most appropriate solution to Tunisia’s current political situation.

Courtesy of the Tunisian presidency’s official Facebook page

“I am still convinced that my initiative is the best way to end political tensions… But this initiative was not supported,” he said.

The Prime Minister downplayed any potential negative consequence following his resignation.

“There will be no political void… The failure of this initiative does not mean the failure of Tunisia,” Jebali declared.

The prime minister’s announcement Tuesday evening came a day after he had informed the press that an agreement had not been reached among the political parties over his proposal for an apolitical, technocratic government.

Jebali first called for a government of technocrats on February 6 – the day opposition leader Chokri Belaid was assassinated, resulting in a series of protests in the days afterwards.

Farah Samti contributed reporting