Ghannouchi's pragmatism confuses everyone

The leader of the Ennahda Movement, Rashid Ghannouchi, surprised everyone when he said that his party was ready to form a coalition government including many parties and that it would not be opposed to including officials from former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s government. Ghannouchi’s comments have sparked many suspicions among his supporters and opponents alike, leading many to believe that his recent statements are part of a greater electoral manoeuvre.

Yet, a closer look at Ghannouchi’s statements over the last month demonstrate that the man has stayed true to his initial beliefs, that is that Tunisia is undergoing a transitional phase and must govern by consensus. Although he initially avoided answering any questions regarding the possibility that the Ennahda party could form an alliance, he now finally seems to consider it a real possibility. Moreover, former Tunisian Prime Minister and leader of Nidaa Tounes (Call of Tunisia), Beji Caid El Sebsi, has been encouraged not to answer Ennahda’s requests within this framework as those who are putting pressure on him argue that “democracy can only be achieved with democrats” and that democrats must work to preserve the greater national project.

Yet, Ghannouchi seems adamant about his new political path, which is somewhat of a deviation from his previous beliefs. As a result of this, the Tunisian leader finds himself engaged in deep conflicts with members of his own movement; however, he firmly believes in this new political strategy despite the fact that he does not fully know what its future outcomes may be.

First of all, there are many considerations as to why the Tunisian leader has changed his initial stances on how best to achieve progress in Tunisia and the first of them is that the path of the Egyptian revolution served as a turning point for Ghannouchi and his reading of the local and greater Arab realities. The events that took place in Egypt opened Ghannouchi’s eyes to the importance of both local and regional factors on the success or regression of the democratic process in the countries of the Arab Spring. It is clear that Ghannouchi believes that any one person who sees himself as the sole player in the political game may find himself out of the process in a moment. Thus, he views that there are other parties and factors that must be taken into account and that they must be considered in the greater equation.

Second, Ghannouchi is aware of the fact that the political scene in Tunisia is moving and that it does not plan on slowing down in the near future. The Nidaa Tounes party (Call of Tunis) is a great example of this because although it was not present in the previous elections, it has become a rather important political player in today’s political scene. It is quite possible that these upcoming elections could reveal the next most important party and as such, Ghannouchi feels the immediate need to widen his circle, in order to protect his party from political isolation and instability in the future.

Thirdly, Ghannouchi is aware that a victory based on numbers alone cannot ensure political stability in a country. Numbers alone do not measure the political process but it depends on the willingness of all parties to cooperate and interact to achieve new policies within the rising powers. Ghannouchi’s speech is reassuring, especially when compared to previous speeches in which he considered Nidaa Tounes to be more detrimental to Tunisia’s welfare than the Salafists. And yet, the question that must be posed in light of this shift in attitude is: Has the leader of the Ennahda movement avoided the counter-revolution that so many had been calling for? When a man who enjoys having a strong presence in the political scene suddenly becomes ready to work with key figures from the former regime, this change of attitude changes many facts. Clearly, Ghannouchi has decided to play this game pragmatically. He has decided to shuffle the cards so as to ensure that the Ennahda party becomes a rational political force in an uncertain political time.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.