Tunisia President supports formation of new unity government

Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi is in support of a unity government to help tackle challenges in the country.

He has however said he would only do this, as long as it included Nobel Prize-winning groups, the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) and the Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (Utica).

He is calling for negotiations among political parties, unions and independents to form a new unity government and discuss ways that will help in the advancement of economic reforms in the country.

Africa_News_Tweets: Tunisia's president urges new unity gov't to tackle challenges: TUNIS (Reuters) – Tunisia… https://t.co/eTSUxR9Bhc

— Kenya Diaspora (@DiasporaDigest) June 3, 2016

But speaking several hours before the president, the secretary general of the UGTT, Houcine Abassi, seemed to rule out his union from any unity government.

Any change of government would require the decommission of the current government, then negotiations between all the groups involved, including political parties, unions and employers.

Prime minister Habib Essid was already forced into a broad reshuffle in January, when the country witnessed its worst violence since the Arab spring uprisings of 2011 that toppled president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

Essebsi said that “The failure of Mr. Essid’s government is that he did not confess to the people the situation in which he found the country.”

Tunisia’s current government is composed of four groups including the party Essebsi founded in 2012, Nidaa Tounes, and the Islamist Ennahda party.

Fighting terrorism, corruption and unemployment, as well as addressing regional disparities, is likely to remain the priorities for any new government.

AFP, Agencies