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Tunisia Ruling Islamists, Opposition Deadlocked over PM
[An Nahar] Tunisia's ruling Islamist party Ennahda and the opposition were deadlocked in talks Saturday to choose a new prime minister tasked with steering the country out of a months-long political crisis.Tensions have gripped the country since the 2011 uprising that toppled veteran dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and were exacerbated with the murder this year of two opposition politicians by suspected radical Islamists. Ennahda, a moderate Islamist party whose resignation has been demanded by the opposition, has pledged to step down and allow the creation of a government of independents as part of a roadmap. After months of stalling, the Islamist-led government opened talks with the opposition on October 25 to form the new government, agree on a much-delayed constitution and prepare for elections. The roadmap to resolve the crisis was drafted by mediators including the powerful UGTT trade union, which announced the latest setback. It said that a meeting Friday of party leaders to chose a new prime minister became bogged down over who should be appointed to the post from among four candidates. The delegates agreed to set up a new committee tasked with overcoming the stalemate, the UGTT said in a statement overnight. The committee is to meet on Saturday at an undisclosed time and would include the head of the National Constituent Assembly, Mustapha Ben Jaafar, Ennahda chief Rached Ghannouchi, and five opposition figures. The dispute reportedly centers on the frontrunners to become prime minister -- Mohammed Ennaceur, 79, and Ahmed Mestiri 88, two veteran politicians and former government ministers. Both are well respected and have served under the late Habib Bourguiba, who led the fight for Tunisia's independence from its French colonial masters and served as its first president (1957-1987). Posted by: Fred 2013-11-03 |
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