Tunisia: Former minister calls for ‘war government ‘; associations to form body to defend protesters

Former Minister, Hatem Ben Salem, called for the formation of a “war government” to save Tunisia from the deteriorating economic and financial situation that it is experiencing, while a civilian coalition comprising dozens of associations announced the formation of a body to defend the protesters arrested by the authorities. The Free Destourian Party confirmed that President Kais Saied and Interior Minister, Taoufik Charfeddine, had been charged with “abusing” its president, Abeer Moussi.

In a radio statement on Tuesday, Ben Salem said that Tunisia today needs “a war government that includes 15 ministers and lasts for two years, during which it presents a road map that guarantees solutions to save Tunisia from the economic and financial crisis it is experiencing.”

He addressed President Saied, saying: “Today you have an opportunity to appear and tell people that the situation is very difficult and the government must be replaced, especially since the economic, financial and social crisis directly affects the daily life of the citizen.”

Ben Salem also criticised the performance of the current government, asking: “Practically, what has it produced and what has it accomplished? Regardless of the names (and I have no problem with Prime Minister Najla Bouden) but this government is unable to find practical solutions to the people’s crisis.”

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He considered that the current government “does not have the qualification to face the major challenges that our country is experiencing and, usually, in all countries of the world, the politician must be the supporter and assistant, but today the politician has become a problem for what Tunisia is experiencing at the economic, financial and social levels.”

He also considered that the next parliament would represent “a farce in the country and the quality of the nominations will create a big problem even for the President of the Republic later on,” calling for the rapid formation of the Constitutional Court.

Meanwhile, the Civil Society Coalition announced, on Tuesday, the formation of a national committee comprising journalists, activists and lawyers “to guarantee the right to defend the charged and the detainees after the protest movements” with the organisation of a field protest on the second of next November, as an expression of the rejection of “the policy adopted by the authority to ensure impunity for all aggressors.”