Nahda official supports Marzouki

Top officials with the Tunisian Nahda have expressed their support for the interim Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki in the Presidential race set to take place on 23 November. The shura council for the Nahda party expects to win second place with a total of 69 out of 217 in the Tunisian parliament in the elections set to take place by Saturday 8 November at the latest.

The Nahda’s shura council is scheduled to meet for the second time this week in preparation for the presidential elections, which are set to take place for the first time since the revolution and will have a diverse range of candidates ranging from members of the old regime to prominent businessmen.

Kamal Ben Ramadan, a senior member of the Nahda party’s Shura council expressed his party’s support for the current President Moncef Marzouki in the next presidential elections that will determine the country’s leader for the next five years.

The main reason for the Nahda party’s support for Marzouki, according to Ben Ramadan, is that he is a candidate who has expressed his dedication to the negotiation process within the country, remains committed to the goals of the Tunisian revolution and does not identify with the former regime.

Marzouki, who was elected president after the revolution by the Constituent Assembly, is considered one of the most prominent opponents of the former regime and it is this classification that has been the focus of his election campaign, which carries the slogan “win or win”. Marzouki aims to achieve the goals of the revolution and the transition as well as unifying the people by achieving justice.

When asked why he did not support Mustapha Ben Jafaar, a presidential candidate who meets the same qualifications as Marzouki, Ben Ramadan responded by saying, “It is true that both candidates are comparable and while the Nahda party thought of supporting either one, Marzouki out preformed Ben Jafaar in the polls”.

“We ultimately believe that it is impossible for our party to support any candidate who is affiliated with the old regime and that is why Marzouki is the best choice”, Ben Ramadan concluded.