Four deputies resign from Nidaa Tounes bloc

Four deputies from Nidaa Tounes bloc in the Tunisian Assembly of the Representatives of the People (Parliament) have announced on Wednesday their resignation from the bloc in protest against the crisis that is “ravaging the party” and the absence of “any signs of reforming and saving the party.”

This came in a statement which was published by four deputies of the Monastir Electoral District (East), namely: Sameh Bouhaouel, Hala bin Omran, Mohammed Saidan and Lotfi Nebli.

The four deputies, considered their resignation from Nidaa Tounes parliamentary bloc, as a “rejection of the unilateral methods of Soufien Toubal (head of the bloc).”

The four deputies expressed their adherence to “modernist thought established by the leader Habib Bourguiba (1956-1987).”

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They also expressed their commitment to “belonging to Nidaa Tounes Movement by the principles under which it has been established.

With the resignation of the four deputies, the number of Nidaa Tounes deputies reduced to 39 deputies after winning the legislative elections in 2014 with 89 seats out of 217 deputies.

On the occasion of the opening of the fifth and final parliamentary session before the 2019 elections, the President of the Parliament, Mohamed Ennaceur announced on Tuesday the arrangement of the parliamentary blocs.

Nidaa Tounes came in the third place with 43 deputies, after the newly formed second bloc, the National Coalition, 47 deputies, and Ennahda Movement which ranked first with 68 deputies.

Since April 2015, Nidaa Tounes Party has been facing a political crisis asince last spring with the conflict that has erupted between the Head of Government, Youssef Chahed (from Nidaa Tounes) and Hafedh Caid Essebsi, the son of President Beji Caid Essebsi. The conflict reached the level of reciprocal accusations of violating the party and its interests.