Tunisian opposition: Transparency requirements for holding next elections do not exist yet

Opposition politician Hamma Hammami is holding the current Tunisian government of Mehdi Goma`a, the National Constituent Assembly and the Electoral commission fully responsible for the lack of transparency needed for holding elections.

Anadolu news agency reports that Hammami, the Secretary-General of the Workers’ Party and the spokesperson of the Popular Front in Tunisia, said “the terms of transparency and responsibility to conduct the next general election do not exist yet.”

During a press conference in Tunis on Thursday, Hammami said he held the government, the National Constituent Assembly and the Electoral Commission fully responsible for this, explaining that the commission “does not make a full effort to encourage the Tunisians to register for the election, something that serves the enemies of democracy.”

Hammami, who was presenting the outcome of his party’s conference held in Tunis on 25-27 June, confirmed that his party “adheres to running in the next general election under the banner of the Popular Front, and that the party’s list remains open to all revolutionary, progressive and democratic trends”.

He explained that the electoral lists of the Popular Front “will be open to all social groups, especially the youths, as well as intellectuals and unionists of all social backgrounds”.

Hammami pointed out that, “the criteria to run for the legislative election will focus on the foundations of efficiency and loyalty to the interests and goals of the revolution, before the of party’s own criteria.”

He added, “The issue of nominating a candidate for the next presidential election will be discussed and resolved in the coming period within the Popular Front.”

Hammami highlighted that his party and all components of the Popular Front are refusing the proposal of the majority Renaissance Movement Party, which suggested the selection of a consensus president for the country without elections.

The proposal was rejected by Hammami, who considered it a prelude to “a non-democratic” environment and a “culture of allegiance”, as he put it.

Last month, the Renaissance Movement Party presented a proposal to agree upon a presidential candidate within what it called the “national project that is based on the principle of participatory governance”.

The leading Renaissance figures stressed that this initiative “does not aim to change the rules of democracy or to cancel the elections, but rather promotes reconciliation away from political calculations”.

The Popular Front is the leading coalition of the Tunisian opposition. It includes 11 Marxist and nationalist parties and is considered the second largest political force in the National Salvation Front after Ennahda party.

The Tunisian scene includes more than 150 Tunisian parties, most of which appeared after the 23 October election in 2011, following the revolution of 14 January that toppled former President Ben Ali.

Recently, the Tunisian Constituent Assembly passed a law that marks 26 October for the legislative election and 23 November for the first round of the presidential elections.

The law states that the second round of the presidential elections would take place after the announcement of the final results of the first round and before the end of 2014.

The registration process for the upcoming general election started on 23 June and will last for one month.

The Workers’ Party, previously called the Tunisian Communist Workers Party, is considered the largest extreme left party and was founded on 3 January 1986.