The pragmatism of Al-Nahda warns of internal revolution on Al-Ghannouchi

Doaa Imam

In a letter addressed to Rashid al-Ghannouchi, head of the Nahda movement (the political arm of the Brotherhood in Tunisia), some members of the movement expressed their rejection of the contradictory policies of al-Nahda during the past months, denouncing the position of al-Ghannouchi on an escalating dispute between Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef el-Shahid and Tunisian President Béji Caid Essebsi.

The signatories criticized Al-Nahda’s use of the conflict between Al-Shahid and Essebsi in addition to Al-Ghannouchi’s position on the agreement with the Nedaa  Tunis Party. The four-page letter which was published in Tunisian newspapers on Wednesday morning, affirms that the continued support of the Prime Minister without any understandings, no contracts, no clear vision for the future, and no emphasis on guarantees of non-injustice, could lead to the loss of the most important gain of the Tunisian revolution by aborting the democratic transition of power.

The letter that stands behind it, Lutfi Zaitoun, the political adviser to the movement’s president, noted that Tunisia has recently witnessed a political crisis. It is being reduced by an open conflict between the heads of the executive branch. A shift in attitude occurred on the part of Ghannouchi as head of the party felt the weakness of Essebsi as opposed to el-Shahid, causing one of the biggest political crises.

The members of el-Nahda also highlighted that the position of the head of the movement can lead to the disruption of parliament and make the completion of constitutional institutions (the electoral commission and the Constitutional Court in particular) impossible at the present time.

The signatories expressed concern about the international community’s confidence in Ghannouchi and his belief that the outside has become a supporter of Al-Nahda’s position. He sees no impediment in its progress towards power and even in presenting a candidate for the presidency, stressing that the political events confirmed that there are no changes in the regional and international situation that justify or call for this.

Al-Nahda members concluded their letter with a number of recommendations for Al-Ghannouchi, including warning of the transfer of the political crisis to a divided parliament which impedes the institution’s ability to resume the building of the necessary constitutional institutions necessary for completing the democratic transition process.

They stressed that the President of the Republic is the symbol of the state constitutionally and factually, and that the violation of the consensus is a clear departure from the requirements of the political plan. That is because the consensus was essentially in accordance with the state, and trying to change the historical situation of the clash between them, to reconciliation and understanding.

They called on the president of the movement to stop engaging in the conflict between el-Shahid and Essebsi demanding “al-Ghannouchi” to maintain the balance between constitutional institutions and not making a party win at the expense of another.

The popularity of the differences

In turn, Abdel Fattah Moro, the leader of the movement, denied his signature on the letter circulated in the Tunisian press, declaring his full agreement with what was stated in it, saying: “I do not deny that I have reservations on the policies of the movement, and I have informed these reservations to the leaders of el-Nahda, “It’s true that I saw the letter but did not sign it,” he said.

The leader of al-Nahda said that the use of letters is not his style, and that direct communication with the movement’s leader is better than following the public policy of expressing opposition to policies.