Ruling Islamist Party to Form Inclusive Government

Newly Appointed Prime Minister, Ali Laarayadh

In the ongoing process of forming a new government, Rached Ghannouchi, founder of the Ennahdha party, has announced that the ruling coalition will be expanded from three to five parties and that the ministries of interior, justice and foreign affairs should remain politically neutral.

Ghannouchi told Tunisian news agency TAP Friday that the new ruling coalition will include Wafa, the Islamist block of Freedom and Dignity, Ettakatol, Congress for the Republic (CPR) and Ennahdha.

The Ettakatol party has set its own conditions for becoming part of the new government, which will be formed by recently appointed Prime Minister Ali Laarayedh. These include the political neutralization of the ministries mentioned by Ghannouchi, Mohammed Bennour, Ettakatol’s spokesperson, told Tunisian radio Mosaqiue FM yesterday.

But the ministries of social affairs, employment, women’s affairs, trade, agriculture, health and transitional justice will not be affected by the reshuffle, Sahbi Atig, a National Constituent Assembly member affiliated with Ennahdha, told Mosaqiue FM.

CPR Deputy Secretary General Imed Daimi reiterated the demand Saturday that the ministries of justice and foreign affairs be politically neutral.

A cabinet reshuffle has been underway for the last several months. After the resignation of former Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali last week, Ennhahda’s Shura Council chose former Minister of Interior Ali Laarayedh as his replacement Friday. The new prime minister is granted two weeks from the day he was appointed to propose his selections for a cabinet.