Deepening cracks in Tunisia - analysts
2012-07-02 20:02
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http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/Deepening-cracks-in-Tunisia-analysts-2012
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Tunis - Tunisia's anti-corruption minister has quit, accusing the government
of failing to do enough to overhaul the public sector and root out
corruption, in a move that shows deepening cracks in the Islamist-led ruling
coalition.
The weekend's resignation of Administrative Reform Minister Mohammed Abbou
follows a spat last week between the Tunisian president and the government
over the latter's decision to extradite Muammar Gaddafi's former prime
minister without the president's knowledge.
Analysts said on Monday that the resignation shows growing contrast within
the ruling coalition and may plunge Tunisia - the first Arab country to oust
its leader and hold free elections as Arab Spring uprisings spread around
the region last year - into crisis.
The government, already facing accusations that it failed to create jobs and
rein in radical Islamists, faces a no-confidence vote over the extradition
decision, though it is expected to survive it.
"The resignation of Mohammed Abbou dispels the notion that the ruling
coalition is coherent and will not disintegrate," said Nabil Zagdoud, a
Tunisian journalist and analyst. "The resignation deepens the contrast
within the ruling coalition and may enter the country into crisis."
The moderate Islamist Ennahda party won 42% of seats in the first elections
of the Arab Spring in October, and went on to form a coalition government
with two far smaller and weaker secular parties, including President Moncef
Marzouki's Conference for a Republic party.
Abbou, who is the Conference for a Republic's secretary-general, said he had
decided to step down because the government had refused to give him the
authority to investigate corruption cases and overhaul the public sector as
promised after last year's revolution.
"The main reason for my resignation is the Tunisian administration's refusal
to change, while I see that the administration needs major changes because
it is full of corruption," Abbou told reporters on Saturday.
Tunisia has so far made a relatively smooth transition to democracy, but the
collapse of the coalition government could pose serious challenges. Any
prolonged crisis could hamper efforts to revive the economy and draft a new
constitution ahead of elections for a full four-year parliament planned for
next year.
Ennahda has been accused by opponents of unilateral behaviour and failure to
consult the constituent assembly on sensitive issues.
No date has been set for the no-confidence vote, which was pushed by a group
of lawmakers in the wake of the government's decision to extradite Al
Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi to Libya.
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Received on Mon Jul 02 2012 - 18:27:35 EDT
