Tunisia: A technocratic government is a prescription for chaos and instability 

With less than ten days for designate Tunisian Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi to acquire parliament’s approval for his government, Tunisians are wary that his government could be the prescription for instability in the country, or at least bait used by President Kaïs Saïed to dissolve parliament.

On 25 July, Saïed shocked parliament and the Tunisian people when he neglected candidates proposed by the major political parties in parliament, and nominated Mechichi to form the new government instead.

Mechichi served as interior minister in the previous government, which was brought down over corruption charges. Al Jazeera Arabic news website reported that he was accused of using “excessive force” when his ministry’s police dispersed a popular protest in the city of Tataouine.

BBC Arabic also reported that he lacks experience in the field of economy, noting that this would lead the country, which is already experiencing a very difficult economic situation, to more economic crises because he will not be able to deal with external donors who ask for unreasonable conditions to approve their grants.

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A paper prepared by the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED) expects that parliament will approve Mechichi’s government, which is said to include at least six ministers from the previously ousted one. “Since few parties would perform well in a snap election, parliament will likely approve Mechichi’s government,” the paper confirmed.

According to the Tunisian constitution, the president must consult with the political parties in parliament regarding the head of the government, but does not oblige him to accept their nominations. Saïed exploited this loophole and placed his bait, Mechichi, with whom he is very close as he was his prime adviser as well as interior minister.

It is likely that Saïed intentionally took this move because he is planning to decrease the power of the parties in parliament, allegedly with the intention of targeting Ennahda. As quoted by the POMED paper, the president expressed: “We respect the legitimacy [of parliament], but the time has come to review it so it will be a sincere and complete expression of the will of the majority.”

The paper confirmed that Saïed does not see parliament as being representative of Tunisian aspirations. Mechichi did exactly what Saïed wanted and started the consultations for the formation of his government with national organisations such as the Tunisian General Labour Union, ruling out political parties. He claimed that he is seeking a technocratic government, but many believe that this is not the case.

“In brief, there is not a technocratic government in Tunisia. In fact, it is the government of embassies. There is no need for games,” Tunisian academic Dr Mohamed Hnid commented on the Saïed and Mechichi government. “The Tunisians elected parties which include competent Tunisians. Whether we agree or disagree with them, they are the representatives of the people who must form the government.”

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Hnid stressed that Saïed is a “hijacked president” who “does not have more than a voice” and “does not have the right to choose the government.” He also described the new government as being “recycled from the previous one.”

To skip the political difference and clashes with the president, Ennahda, the majority party in parliament, did not make a big issue of the negligence of its nominee, and called the president’s nominee to form a national unity government in order to acquire support from parliament.

Prior to Saïed’s announcement of his nominee, Ennahda Chief Rached Ghannouchi stressed on the importance that the new prime minister “must” come from an economic background, in order to be equipped to deal with the country’s dire economic situation.

Commenting on ruling out Ennahda and Qalb Tounes (Heart of Tunisia) from the government consultations, Ghannouchi stated that any government “cannot succeed nor survive” without these two major parties in parliament. He clarified that these efforts aim to “exclude” Ennahda from the political arena and from taking any effective role in decision-making.

Ghannouchi posed the question: “Is there a democracy that excludes the first party in the parliament or the second party? If so, how will it succeed with the tenth party?”

Meanwhile, Tunisian MP of Al Karama Coalition, Abdul-Latif Al-Alawi, stated: “Regardless to who nominated you and why he nominated you, we know, you know and God knows that you will not be able to rule without the parliament which ought to approve your government, undermine its job or oust it.”

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Al-Alawi believes that Mechichi’s government is a real prescription for instability and accused those who support him and work with him of doing this in order to maintain their jobs and positions. “They could approve your government, but they will not enable you to rule and will not give you security and stability,” he emphasised.

Replying to these comments, Mechichi confirmed that the technocratic government will concentrate on the citizens and their needs and will improve the economic situation, while being far-removed from political polarisation and clashes.

MP Haikal Al-Makki of the National People’s Movement, affirmed: “The government must be formed from the political parties because Tunisian politics is based on them and this is stipulated by the Tunisian constitution.” He communicated that forming a technocratic government far from the political party would “take the country to the edge of the cliff.”

Meanwhile, Head of Al Karam Coalition bloc Seifeddine Makhlouf stated that the Tunisians chose “politicians to rule the country and technocrats” emphasising that the technocratic government “was imposed” on Mechichi by the president who “disrespects” the parties and the results of the elections.

Makhlouf asserted that Mechichi was not a member of any political party and was not elected by the people, and therefore: “Does not know the value of the elections.”

The former Tunisian prime minister explained that the formation of a technocratic government means “ruling out” the political parties that won the elections, noting: “This is an aggression on democracy.” He expects that such a government will not be approved by parliament.

On 25 August, Mechichi must take his government to parliament for approval. If it is not approved, Saïed has the right to dissolve parliament and call for snap elections within 90 days.

If Mechichi’s government is approved, it does not have the capacity to run the country, nor control it. If it is not, it would lead to a wide-scale discontent amongst the major political parties and their supporters. Both outcomes are real and serious prospects for chaos and instability.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.