Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali of Tunisia Announces His Resignation
Tunisia’s Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali has announced his resignation, citing his inability to form a new unity government.
Speaking at a news conference in Tunis on Tuesday, Jebali said he was quitting because his initiative aimed at forming an all-inclusive government had not succeeded.
"I had made an earlier vow to the effect that should I fail in my initiative, I would resign and I have done just that today" Mr Jebali declared in front of journalists shortly after his long meeting with President Moncef Marzouki.
His Ennahda party did not back his initiative to appoint a cabinet full of technocrats, which was undermined by a series of resignations of members of his government.
According to Jebali who was challenged to form a unity government in the aftermath of the assassination of opposition leader Chokri Belaid, he was standing down in fulfillment of a promise to his people.
Chokri’s killing on February 6 had sparked tension across the political divide, seen as the most serious since Tunisia set off the Arab Spring in late 2010 and ushered in a new government.
"Our people are disillusioned by the political class. We must restore confidence," he emphasized.
Meanwhile Jebali argued that his failure should not be misconstrued as a failure of Tunisia or the revolution during which Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was ousted.
On Monday Ennahda leader Rached Ghannouchi was quoted as saying that the parties involved in the coalition were determined for Jebali to remain in office although some had accused the former prime minister’s party of being behind Chokri’s assassination which it vehemently denied.
There is widespread public disenchantment over the running of the country with ordinary Tunisians accusing the government of neglecting the need to address the struggling economy and the rising cost of living.
Source African Press Agency
African News from NetNewsPublisher.com
Category: Africa
