First Independent Mena Newspaper
Hopeful presidential candidates have started preparing their dossiers with more than 10 candidates expected to vie for the post. Current interim President, Moncef Marzouki, will be among them. He could be facing a stiff competition from Mustapha Ben Jaafar, a leading member of Tunisia’s former Troika government and the leader of the Democratic Forum for […]
Tunisia is reviewing its drug laws which have easily put many people behind bars especially during the Ben Ali era. Tunisia’s population is around 11 million but tens of thousands have easily been convicted of these laws which do not distinguish between hard and soft laws. The reform of the law is part of efforts […]
Members of the Tunisian parliament have finally agreed on the days to be set aside for the parliamentary and presidential elections. The country’s transition towards democracy after the departure of President Ben Ali has been challenging. A caretaker government has been overseeing the process after the Ennahda led coalition government was forced to step down. […]
Political parties in Tunisia tend to agree on the dates set aside by the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) for the legislative and presidential elections. Tunisia has been able to maneuver its way through the transition despite a couple of challenges from the Salafists and the tensions which resulted in the assassination of high […]
Morocco has pleaded for the advent of a new Maghreb order and for the construction of a large, strong Maghreb so that the region plays its political, economic, social and security role, so that Maghreb countries make the most of their vast potential, and so that the Maghreb Union supports Arab and Islamic causes, particularly […]
Morocco and Tunisia are poised to give a new momentum to their traditionally close bilateral relations, not only at the political scale but also at the level of economic relations and trade ties. Ways and means to fulfil the goal are being discussed at the highest level between Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki and Morocco’s King […]
A Tunisian court has decided to dissolve the League for the Protection of the Revolution (LPR) ahead of the upcoming elections. The group is considered as a vigilante group that has associated itself with violence. The decision is welcomed by the opposition and the powerful workers union UGTT. Its headquarters and 20 branches across the […]
Reduction of subsidies for basic materials is underway in Tunisia although the government is being mindful to incite protests. An economic dialogue has been organized to ease its implementation but some opposition parties have decided to boycott it. The government believes that cutting subsidies is necessary to reduce the budget deficit. Trade Minister Najla Harouch […]
“This time there will be no delay and we will issue a $140 million sukuk in September.” These were the words of the Finance Minister Hakim Ben Hammouda. Tunisia announced that it was going to issue a sukuk but the deadline has expired four months ago. The minister has promised that September will be the […]
Tunisian youths are being offered an opportunity by the Qatar Friendship Fund (QFF) to venture into entrepreneurship as the country’s economy continues to struggle. Youths from the rural areas are expected to benefit from four agreements which were signed by Qatar’s Ambassador to Tunisia who also doubles as the Chairman of the Qatar Friendship Fund, […]