Former Head of Government to run in Tunisia's presidential elections

Former Tunisian Head of Government and former Ennahda leader Hamadi Jebali presented his candidacy papers for the early presidential elections scheduled for mid-September.

Jebali said in media statements that he submitted his candidacy for the early presidential elections, after he received the recommendation of 11 members of parliament, without mentioning their names.

He pointed out that he is running for elections “independently of the political parties, to serve the country and the people, after taking advantage of the past experience and lessons.”

Jebali added that he will focus on his electoral program on “the preservation of national security in all its aspects, at the security, economic, social, health, food, and educational levels.”

Hamadi Jebali, 70, resigned from the General Secretariat of Ennahda in March 2014, and completely resigned from the party in September 2014.

Jebali headed the Troika government (alliance between Ennahda, Congress for the Republic and the Democratic Forum for Labour and Liberties) elected in October 2011, but announced his resignation from it in 2013.

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Twenty-seven people have submitted their candidacy papers to the Independent High Authority for Elections since the opening of candidacy last Friday. Most notably Nabil Karoui, former owner of private TV channel Nessma TV, and the head of “Qalb Tounes” (Heart of Tunisia) Party, the new name of the Social Peace Party.

Meanwhile, former Tunisian President Mohamed Moncef Marzouki announced earlier on Tuesday that he intends to run for the elections. Also, “Tahya Tounes” Party (Long Live Tunisia Party) decided to invite its head, Youssef Chahed, the current Head of Government, to run for the presidential elections.

The stage of submitting applications for candidacy has started on Friday and will continue until 9 August, before the announcement of Independent High Authority for Elections of the final list of the initially accepted candidates on 14 of this month.

Among the rules of running for the presidential elections are the recommendation of a candidate from ten members of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People, or from forty of the heads of councils of elected local groups, otherwise from 10,000 voters distributed at least in ten electoral circles, provided that they are not less than five hundred voters in each of these circles.