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Tunisia: Ghannouchi's adviser resigns ahead of founding new party

November 3, 2020 at 1:46 pm

Lotfi Zaitoun, former political adviser to the head of the Ennahda party in Tunisia, 10 July 2020 [LotfiZitoun/Twitter]

Lotfi Zaitoun, a former political adviser to the head of the Ennahda party, announced his withdrawal from the movement, indicating the possibility of establishing a new party.

Zaitoun confirmed that he submitted his resignation from the movement’s Shura Council and the eleventh conference’s preparatory committee, indicating that he declined presiding over the movement’s political bureau after being nominated by party leader, Rached Ghannouchi.

In a statement to Shams FM, he said that Ennahda “is taking a serious turn”.

Zaitoun is a journalist, human rights activist and researcher specialising in political studies and history. He is considered one of the most prominent leaders of the Ennahda movement. He was appointed a director of Ghannouchi’s office in London between 1993 and 2006, and later served as a political adviser to the party’s president.

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He also held the post of political adviser to former Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali and became Minister of Local Affairs in Ilyes Fakhfakh’s government.

Zaitoun’s resignation comes at a time when Ennahda is experiencing internal disputes over the position of head of the party, with numerous members calling on Ghannouchi to commit to not running for a new term.