Tunisians considered the initiative launched by Rached Ghannouchi, the leader of the Ennahdha Muslim Brotherhood movement, as nothing more than an escape maneuver from the corruption and terrorism financing trials.
Ghannouchi called for holding early legislative and presidential elections in Tunisia, as a way out of what he described as a “political crisis” following President Kais Saied’s decision to dismiss the previous government and freeze the work of parliament last July.
Activists and observers, however, said that the call is nothing more than an attempt to escape from the corruption and terrorism financing trials, especially after the leak of information from judicial bodies confirming the involvement of Ennahdha and some other parties in corruption cases, related to receiving foreign funds and spreading suspicious agendas.
Hazem El Kassouri, a lawyer and political activist in Tunisia, said that the calls for early elections are statements that the Tunisian people do not pay attention to at this stage, especially since Tunisia faces major challenges in the face of terrorism and the intrigues of the Brotherhood in addition to international pressures.
El Kassouri said that the acceleration of administrative and legal procedures is at the heart of preparations for the next stage, which includes the application of the law to violations of the 2019 elections, the exclusion of those involved in parties and individuals included in the accounting report to establish the true democratic path and the actual preparation of new elections that respect the law and the principle of transparency.
- Unwelcome invitation:
Tunisian political analyst Nizar al-Jalidi said that the Tunisians will not accept Ghannouchi’s invitation, and will not allow the Brotherhood to return to the political scene once again to repeat its pre-July 25th corruption and destruction scenario.
At the same time, Tunisians have the right to know the features of a clear road map for the next political stage, to know the features, criteria and mechanisms of the upcoming elections and the guarantees of their integrity, and to abide by the guarantees of accountability of the corrupt who have caused the destruction of political life and the general situation in Tunisia, foremost among them the leaders of the Ennahdha Movement, al-Jalidi said.
- Opinion polls:
Tunisians seem not to be impressed with Ghannouchi’s appeal, especially since the collapse of Ennahdha’s popularity, as polls show that President Kais Saied’s popularity has been steadily rising.
According to a recent poll, more than 90% of Tunisians plan to vote for President Saied in the next presidential election.
The poll, conducted by the Sigma Conseil Company in collaboration with Al-Maghrib newspaper, indicated that Saied leads the voting intentions by 90.1%.
Free Constitutional Party leader Abir Moussi came in second with 2.3%, while journalist Safi Said came third with 1.5%.
In contrast, the Free Constitutional Party received 34% of the vote in the legislative elections.
72% of Tunisians surveyed expressed confidence in the president, while 71.7% said the country is on the right track.
