Nidaa Tounis: We are an extension of Ben Ali's regime

Nidaa Tounes (Call for Tunisia), which attained the highest number of votes in the legislative elections, public acknowledgment that it is “an extension of the [ousted President Zine El-Abidine) Ben Ali regime”. It also said that the Islamic Ennahda movement is nothing but “the old regime” that came to an end.

The Anadolu Agency quoted the special advisor of the head of Nidaa Tounis as saying: “We are an extension to the Ben Ali regime with one exception, and that is the freedom of speech.”

Another of the movement’s leaders told the agency that Beji Caid Al-Sebsi, the head of the party, will win the upcoming presidential elections.

Firas Qirfash, member of the party’s media team, said that they have now become the strong party. He stressed that they have come top according to the results of the Tunisian legislative elections.

Qirfash added: “Ennahda movement has now become part of the old regime.” He said that the supporters of the movement, which came second in the legislative elections, “will dwindle in number” from now on. Adding, Ennahda “will continue to consist of a solid nucleus formed primarily of the families of former political prisoners.”

Expressing his confidence in the movement’s leader and its candidate for the forthcoming presidential elections, Qirfash said they will win the elections that are due to take place on November 23.

It was recently revealed that the party’s leader El-Sebsi had received sums of money and expensive gifts from the UAE, as part of the Emirates’ project to stop Islamist governments from gaining power in the Arab world.