Photo Credit: AFP / Fethi Belaid
After initially reporting Tunisia’s political parties reached a deal for interim prime minister, the agreement reportedly fell apart on Friday after the agreed upon candidate, 92-year-old Mustapha Filali, said he was not up to the job. According to Tunisia Live, Tunisian Labor Union head Houcine Abbassi announced the National Dialogue members had agreed on Filali, former Agriculture Minister under President Habib Bourguiba, after protracted negotiations. However, in an interview Friday morning, Filali announced he would not accept the position of interim prime minister and stated, “I will not accept this mission… I reject it because of my age, and because of the scope of the responsibilities and problems” according to AFP. Fethi Avadi, a leader of the ruling Islamist party Ennahda, the negotiators have continued to try to persuade Filali to agree to the position and said, “we have communicated with Mr Filali to convince him to take on this responsibility. If he refuses, we will respect his opinion.” Filali would be the oldest person ever appointed as prime minister, according to the Guinness World Records.
Meanwhile, The Washington Post journalist Lally Weymouth interviewed the leaders of two leading political parties: Beji Caid Essebsi, leader of Tunisian opposition party Nidaa Tounes, and Rached Ghannouchi, leader of the ruling party Ennahda. Weymouth asked each candidate if an interim prime minister would be chosen this week. Essebsi responded that the problem has been a glut of political parties in the negotiations – 23 in total – which has slowed the process. Ghannouchi said in contrast that an agreement between Ennahda and Nidaa Tounes “would facilitate an agreement with the other parties” and remained confident that an agreement would be reached this week. When asked about Ennahda’s willingness to step down, Essebsi asserted that Ennahda sought “guarantees” of immunity against prosecution but that “Nobody can give them serious guarantees. It’s justice that guarantees impunity or condemnation.” In contrast, Ghannouchi argued that Ennahda did not seek guarantees of immunity from prosecution because “we haven’t done anything wrong,” but rather the ruling party has outlined a list of conditions for their withdrawal from government that ensures a timeline for elections, the establishment of an electoral commission, and the passage of the constitution.