[Ennahar] A new cable from the U.S. Embassy in Tunis dated five years ago, revealed by Wikileaks, sheds new light on the political ambitions of former President Ben Ali, who suffers from a cancer. The latter wants to stay in power until his death.Classified "secret", this cable, written in January 2006 by U.S. Ambassador S. E. William J. Hudson, the telegram is a detailed analysis of the constitutional arrangements set up by President Ben Ali who came to power in November 1987 to secure a life presidency.
In this list were current Prime Minister, Mohamed Ghannouchi, Abdelaziz Ben Dhia, the current President of the Parliament Fouad Mebazaa, the Foreign Minister Kamel Morjane (then in charge of Defense) or even the former First Lady of Tunisia, Trabelsi Leila Ben Ali.
According to the document, classified secret, passed by the U.S. Ambassador in Washington January 9, 2006, Americans knew that Ben Ali had prostate cancer and had been unable to assume the presidency during a period of days without having been replaced by Prime Minister according to the constitution in such cases.
The document reveals the intentions of Ben Ali who did not intend to quit the presidency. The latter, according to the U.S. cable, wanted to die president.
The U.S. ambassador takes up a joke that circulated at the time in Tunisia saying that Ben Ali had (03) three objectives: staying in power, staying in power and staying in power.
| Are those not the top three objectives of every leader in the Arab world? |
The cable cites five names of Tunisian figures that he believes could be on the list of potential candidates to succeed Ben Ali in the event of death or resignation, although this second hypothesis is rejected. The paper mentions the Minister of State and advised staff of Ben Ali and spokesman of the presidency, Abdelaziz Ben Dhia, Chaouche Ali, Minister of Social Affairs and Solidarity, Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi, the former Minister of Defense and Foreign Minister Kamel Morjane, and also former First Lady of Tunisia Leila Trabelsi.