After the fall of Moro, Ennahda is betting on legislative elections

Asmaa al-Batakoshi

The first official results of the Tunisian presidential elections were a real shock to the Ennahda movement, the Brotherhood’s arm in Tunisia.

Ennahda candidate Abdul Fattah Moro came third with 13%, Defense Minister Abdulkarim al-Zubaidi fourth with 10.3%, and Prime Minister Youssef Chahed fifth with 7.4%.

These results are preliminary after counting 49% of the votes, and the Independent High Electoral Commission in Tunisia said that constitutional law professor Kais Saied obtained 18.8% of the vote, or 303,976 votes.

The preliminary results of the presidential elections prompted Ennahda to focus more on the legislative elections, which are of great importance, especially as the Tunisian regime is a modified parliament.

The importance of the legislative elections scheduled for October 6, which is gaining additional momentum with the nomination of Ennahda President Rached Ghannouchi, who may open the door to take over the reins of power and governance.

According to Tunisian newspapers, the legislative elections may be more intense, given the participation of Ennahda and its importance.

In an attempt by Ghannouchi to control the presidency and parliament, he issued a statement on August 29 calling on his supporters to commit to voting for the candidate of the movement, vowing that anyone who contravenes will be subject to regulatory sanctions.

It is noteworthy that the electoral program for Moro did not take into account the powers of the president and the specifics of the presidential campaign, but was directed more to the legislative elections, which indicates that the movement did not intend to present a candidate from within Ennahda.

An article by Tunisian writer Mohamed Abdelhakim Karshid said that Ghannouchi is running for the legislative elections, and that his eyes are certainly directed to the head of the parliament.

He added that Ghannouchi knows well that the situation in Tunisia and abroad does not allow him and his movement to control the three Tunisian branches. He must sacrifice at least one of them and will not find it less logical to give up Carthage Palace and sacrifice his candidate Moro.

Ennahda seeks to win a majority in the legislature, thus forming the government. The Tunisian constitution provides that the prime minister has the power to control the general policy of the state, and can also modify the composition of the government, as well as add or cancel ministries and portfolios.

This is in addition to the implementation of laws; the dismissal and appointment of members of the government; the creation, modification or deletion of public institutions, facilities and administrative departments; and the appointment and exemptions in senior civil positions, as well as the conclusion of international agreements.

Tunisian writer and political analyst Nizar Mekni said that the political system in Tunisia is a parliamentary system, not a presidential system, and in this case, the most important elections are legislative elections and the most important powers belong to the prime minister, not the president.

He said Ennahda lost the presidential elections because it could not reach understandings with other political parties to support its candidate, so it is now resorting to do so in the legislative elections.

Mekni added that the movement is coming to a series of understandings about the upcoming parliamentary elections with other parties with whom it will rule in the coming period.

The chances of Ennahda gaining the legislature could not be resolved if its candidate did not support other parties.