July 31, 2013
By Tarek Amara
TUNIS: Tunisian Education Minister Salem Labyedh has resigned, the prime minister’s spokesman said on Wednesday, as pressure mounted on the Islamist-led government to step down.
The Daily Star – Lebanon http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2013/Jul-31/225774-tunisian-minister-resigns-as-pressure-grows-on-government.ashx#ixzz2adZOawQq
The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb
July 31, 2013
By Tarek Amara
TUNIS: Tunisian Education Minister Salem Labyedh has resigned, the prime minister’s spokesman said on Wednesday, as pressure mounted on the Islamist-led government to step down.
30/07/2013
By Mona Yahia in Tunis for Magharebia
Tunisian Prime Minister Ali Larayedh is refusing to dissolve the government as a way out of the current political crisis caused by the recent murder of an opposition MP, AFP reported. Larayedh on Monday (July 29th) rejected a call by coalition partner Ettakatol for the government’s resignation.
Tunisia has faced anti-government protests following the Thursday assassination of MP Mohamed Brahmi – the second anti-Islamist political figure gunned down in six months.
“This government will stay in office: we are not clinging to power, but we have a duty and a responsibility that we will exercise to the end,” Larayedh said.
قط اضغط جام وأطلب الرحمة
“We think that the National Constituent Assembly will complete the electoral code by October 23rd at the latest so elections can be held on December 17th,” he added. The date is symbolic for Tunisia.
On that date in 2010, 26-year-old Mohamed Bouazizi set himself ablaze and ignited the country’s revolution.
“The government will continue its work and its efforts in the economic and social areas,” Larayedh continued. “We are ready for dialogue with those who want dialogue.”
“As for the Constituent Assembly, we will avoid proposing laws that take too much time and we are ready for the inclusion of more political parties and organisations during the remainder of the transitional phase,” he added.
Calls for the formation of a new government in Tunisia increased Tuesday.
“Ali Larayedh did not provide solutions,” said Mahmoud Baroudi of the Democratic Alliance party. “His policy is one of escape forward. His discourse contains threats and warnings to those calling for the overthrow of a government that has failed to protect Tunisians.”
On Monday night, the powerful Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) also demanded change.
“The UGTT calls for the dissolution of the government and the composition of a government’s capacity formed by a consensus figure,” UGTT Secretary-General Deputy Sami Tahri said.
A potential national unity government is gaining support from various parties.
“There is openness to all proposals, including the formation of a government of national unity, but the Constituent Assembly is a red line for us,” Habib Hamdi from Ettakatol told Magharebia.
“For us, the Constituent Assembly is a red line in that we must talk about dissolving it,” Mohsen Marzouk from Nidaa Tounes agreed.
The leftist Popular Front also insisted on seeing the government and the Constituent Assembly adjourned.
Constituent Assembly Speaker Mustapha Ben Jaafar called on independent MPs to return to the assembly and complete the remainder of the transitional phase.
Maghrebia
http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/features/2013/07/30/feature-02
Two Tunisian army officers were killed Thursday (June 6th) in the Jebel Chaambi region, the defence ministry confirmed, calling it “a serious development”.
The home-made bomb exploded during the ongoing military campaign to hunt down terrorists holed up in the mountain forests near Algeria.
This latest incident in Dhogra “targeted all those who use the track, whether citizens, military or security personnel”, the defence ministry said, urging “all citizens to be cautious and deal positively with the military and security forces to protect the country and people against this imminent danger”.
Some 45 suspects have been arrested in connection with the terrorism in Jebel Chaambi. Saber Mechri, owner of the storehouse where a large quantity of weapons was found in Mnihla, was among the detainees.
Members of radical salafist group Ansar al-Sharia are among the militants fighting Tunisian forces in the mountains, the interior ministry said.
“Those involved in Jebel Chaambi events include Kamel Gadhgadhi, presumed killer of prominent opposition leader Chokri Belaid, and Abou Iyadh, leader of Tunisia’s jihadist salafists who is wanted for planning the attack on the US embassy,” the interior ministry said.
On Thursday morning, specialised security units raided the Hammam-Lif home of Abou Iyadh (real name Seif Allah Ibn Hussein) but the fugitive was not there.
Also on Thursday, Defence Minister Rachid Sabbagh confirmed that “terrorist elements holed up in Jebel Chaambi in Kasserine province are about to move”, adding that “they receive assistance from other entities”.
Army forces would soon receive “new equipment and devices to monitor landmines and track these terrorist elements”, he added.
For his part, Prime Minister Ali Larayedh said that Tunisia’s “position from terrorism and criminality hasn’t changed, but has even grown firmer”.
“We’ll continue with our efforts until we dismantle this terrorist group and all those who have a proven link to these events. We’ll also develop our counter-terrorism methods and plans,” Larayedh said.
A key part of the strategy to combat the extremists includes revamping the country’s counter-terror laws.
In that vein, a rights committee has been working for months on refining the counter-terrorism law by incorporating respect of human rights and international treaties signed by Tunisia, which provide guarantees for a fair trial.
At a seminar on the topic last week, Human Rights Minister Samir Dilou said that his ministry would speed up the bill drafting and refer it to the government and Constituent Assembly for revision and approval.
The current statute dates back to 2003. But the law has faced criticism for alleged over-reach during the regime of ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
In a statement released May 23rd, the interior ministry said seven extremists were charged under the law for allegedly killing an officer on May 2nd in Jebel Jelloud, south of Tunis.
But activist groups, including Human Rights Watch, have said that the law carries loose definitions of terrorism and undermines defendants’ rights.
http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/features/2013/06/07/feature-01
24/05/2013
The President of the African Development Bank Group, Donald Kaberuka, Thursday, May 23, in Tunis, called on the Tunisian Prime Minister, Ali Laarayedh.
President Kaberuka underscored the friendship between the AfDB and Tunisia and expressed gratitude to the Tunisian Government and people for their hospitality to the institution for the past 10 years. “We are home in Tunisia,” affirmed the AfDB President.
http://www.afdb.org/en/news-and-events/article/afdb-president-commends-tunisian-hospitality-11820/
http://www.afdb.org/en/ AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK GROUP
2013-05-23 14:10
Tunis – Prime Minister Ali Larayedh said on Thursday that Tunisia is making progress in its bid to dismantle “terrorist” cells despite the presence in the country of armed groups and recent clashes with Islamists.
http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/Tunisia-making-progress-against-terror-PM-20130523
TUNIS |
May 23 (Reuters) – Tunisia is in talks with Qatar over a deposit in Tunis’ central bank “with easy conditions” Prime Minister Ali Larayedh said on Thursday.
TUNIS |
(Reuters) – For the first time since the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011, relations between mainstream Islamists in government and radical Salafist Muslim activists have reached breaking point, sparking deadly clashes in two Tunisian cities.
21 May, 2013
TUNIS, Tunisia, May 21 (UPI) — Tunisia, cradle of the Arab Reawakening in January 2011, has finally got tough with its hard-line Islamists as, like other North African states that overthrew longtime dictators, it finds itself struggling with the fallout of its groundbreaking pro-democracy uprising.
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