Tunisia Islamists reiterate call for dialogue between partners

The Tunisian Ennahda Movement has stressed the importance of government stability and well-functioning state institutions and administration and reiterated its call for the recommencement of dialogue between political and social partners.

Ennahda stressed in a statement today “the country’s urgent need to launch economic and social reforms in order to boost economic growth, internal and external investment and rebalancing public finances, which will contribute to the provision of job opportunities, the development of internal authorities, and the improvement in living standards for Tunisian people”.

The movement announced the formation of a committee to look into completing the transitional justice process as one of the benefits of the Revolution of Freedom and Dignity, and an indication of the success of the democratic transition in Tunisia.

On the other hand, the movement prayed for mercy for the victims of the boat that sank off the shores of the island of Kerkennah. It also called for an investigation and invited state institutions and all political and social parties to a national dialogue regarding the issues of the youth, development and employment, which would lead to the practical measures that would address the secret immigration phenomenon, according to the statement.

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In late May Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi decided to postpone the adoption of the “Carthage Document”, which was signed in the summer of 2016.

Essebsi’s decision came as a result of the continued disagreements between signatory members over the document regarding a partial or comprehensive change of government (which involves the head of the Government Youssef Chahed).

In March the signatories to the Carthage Document formed an 18-member committee of experts to draft a new document which would set new economic and social priorities.

During the work of the committee of experts, 63 points were agreed upon in the “Carthage Document II” concerning the political, economic, and social programme for the upcoming period, yet it was impossible to reach an agreement on the future of the government of Youssef Chahed.

The “Carthage Document II” is co-formulated by the Tunisian Nidaa Tounes movement party, Ennahda Movement, the Free Patriotic Union, the National Destourian Initiative Party, and the Social Democratic Path.

Four organisations have also contributed to the formulation of the document, namely the Tunisian General Labour Union, the Tunisian Union of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts (employers’ organisation), the Tunisian Union for Agriculture and Fisheries (farmers’ union), and the National Union of Tunisian Women.

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