Nidaa Tunis tensions come at crucial period for Tunisia

Tensions between two factions of Nidaa Tunis (Call of Tunisia) are threatening to disrupt the Tunisian parliament’s work at a vulnerable time for the country. The escalating internal conflict spilled over Nov. 1, when a brawl erupted at a party meeting at a luxury hotel in the resort town of Hammamet. The sides are split between supporters of Hafedh Essebsi, son of Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi, and Mohsen Marzouk, a former leftist activist and the party’s secretary-general. After the meeting, the party’s executive bureau accused the young Essebsi and some of the party leadership, including Cabinet director Ridha Belhaj, of inciting violence to “take over the party” and restructure it.

“Today Nidaa Tunis died. The party no longer exists as we know it,” wrote Mamoghli Chokri, a member of the party's executive board, on Facebook after the fight. “There will be a split. The parliamentary group will be divided into two, and the government will likely fall. Ennahda [the rival, Islamist party], by default, will become the [top] party in the country.”

Thirty-two Nidaa Tunis parliamentarians decided to freeze their membership and threatened to leave the party. “We are currently negotiating,” said Olfa Soukri, one such member. She said the 32 members denounced the violence that took place at the Hammamet meeting. According to local media, however, the 32 MPs decided on Nov. 8 to resign from their party parliamentary group. Nidaa Tunis' Walid Jallad told the media that they are still open to debate should there be reason for them to review their decision. Yet the decision of the 32 MPs was made public Nov. 8 during a press conference.

Parliamentarians are protesting what they see as attempts by Hafedh Essebsi to dominate the party. The president’s office denies the accusation, and President Essebsi had called for a reconciliation meeting at the presidential palace in Carthage on Nov. 2. However, Essebsi's call was in vain as several MPs refused to attend.