Ennahdha asks supporters to select 'most competent president'

Supporters of the Tunisian Ennahdha movement are to have a free rein in deciding who to vote for as president in next week's head-to-head showdown between interim President Moncef Marzouki and Nidaa Tounes leader Beji Caid Essebsi.

Ennahdha does not have a candidate in the running for the country's top job, and it was thought that any direction given by the movement's leadership would prove highly influential in swinging the result one way or the other.

But during its 33rd session, held on Saturday, the movement's Shura Council merely asked supporters "to select the best presidential candidate for Tunisia".

The council said the movement was committed to national unity, as well as ensuring the success of the election, to be hed on Sunday 21 December.

"Ennahdha does not have a presidential candidate; it asked its supporters and voters to select whoever they believe is the most competent president for Tunisia," the council stated.

The coming phase requires participatory governance based on wide consensus. - Abdellatif Mekki

The meeting did not conclude until late on Saturday night, amid explicit calls by some leading members, such as Habib Ellouze, Sadek Chourou and Hamadi al-Jibali, to support Marzouki.

This lack of official recommendation to the movement's supporters "may actually be a deliberate tactic by the leadership, since most supporters of the movement already want to vote for Marzouki, as proven in the first round", said a source close to the council. "It may also mean that the Shura Council preferred not to confront its supporters."

Abdellatif Mekki, a member of parliament and a leading figure in Ennahdha, told al-Araby al-Jadeed that the council's statement was clear, and maintained the stance taken by Ennahdha during the first round of the presidential poll.

Mekki did not deny that most Ennahdha supporters [Ar] are lending their support to the interim president.

He added that some of the movement's leaders who had declared their support for Marzouki in the media "are violating Ennahdha's traditions of listening to all opinions and defending them in a democratic manner". 

"The coming phase requires participatory governance based on wide consensus to validate laws that can contribute to the reform of Tunisia's difficult economic situation," said Mekki.

Was he speaking indirectly to Nidaa Tounes leaders?

"This requires a wide political consensus when forming the next government, no party can bear this burden alone, but the winning party always takes the initiative," he said.

We hope everyone prioritises the country's interests. - Abdellatif Mekki

"Nidaa Tounes does link both the presidential and government paths, but we do not want to violate our policy of finding a consensus president. We paid the price for that, and we could not find a consensus president, so we asked our supporters to vote for whomever they believe is competent.

"This is our stance, whether or not the other party accepts it. We do not submit to pressure, and we hope everyone prioritises the country's interests, not the interests of their parties, because the coming phase will be difficult, and Nidaa Tounes cannot represent a majority without Ennahdha."

The Shura Council also discussed the resignation of former Secretary-General Hamadi al-Jibali, mentioning his contribution in building and developing the movement.

"The movement and its platforms will remain open for all its leaders and supporters to express their views," stated the council. "Jibali is a patriot who has fought for freedom, democracy and human rights. He played major roles in establishing freedoms and democracy in our country."

The Council also recommended that the leadership of Ennahdha continued talks with Jibali to convince him to resume his work.

This is an edited translation from our Arabic edition.