Tunisia: Opposition raps President Caid Essebsi for breaking his electoral promises

Tunisian political opposition Thursday laid into President Caid Essebsi and his Premier Essid for lying to the people of Tunisia adding that new cabinet appointed this week is a gift to the Islamist party, Ennahdha.
For lawmaker Mongi Rahoui, member of the Popular Front, President Caid Essebsi and the ruling party failed to keep its electoral promise to the people: “never to ally with the Islamist party.”
Rahoui, speaking to the national radio pointed out that the electoral promises were broken with Prime Minister Essid’s cabinet reshuffle which includes Islamist ministers.
“Caid Essebsi has broken all his promises and the cabinet reshuffle proves that Ennahdha has become the dominant party in the government,” Rahoui said.
He went on saying that the President rolled out the red carpet for the Islamist party before adding “No decision is now made without the approval of Ennahdha.”
Rahoui’s criticism is also echoed by the Secretary General of Social Democratic Path (Al-Massar) party, Samir Ettaïeb who in a statement on Thursday argued that the Islamist party is among parties that got the lion share of the cabinet reshuffle.
“On the contrary it is a new deal between the four parties in power, a deal imposed by the two men who actually run the country, namely Béji Caïd Essebsi and Rached Ghannouchi,” Ettaïeb said.
For the secularist, Ennahdha is the winner of the cabinet reshuffle as it succeeded in placing its Othman Battikh at the ministry of Religious Affairs.
Ettaïeb also added that the Islamist party has clearly been advantaged after it obtained key ministries including Justice, Energy and Interior.
According to Tunisian media “Kapitalis” analysts fear that judicial, security and energy issues or cases including probes into the deaths of Chokri Belaïd and Mohamed Brahmi could be classified or buried.