Talks stalled between Ettakatol and Ennahdha

The politburo of the Ettakatol Party, the Forum for Labour and Liberties, decided to carry on suspension of its participation in the three tripartite commissions tasked with looking at the line-up of the next government, until Ennahdha Movement clarifies its stand on the issue of the “caliphate”, TAP news agency learnt from an informed Ettakatol source. Besides, a source close to Ennahdha told TAP that the Ettakatol politburo accepted that Mr. Mustapha ben Jaafar, Chairman of the Party, be the President of the National Constituent Assembly (NCA), in addition to granting this party the Justice and Foreign Affairs Ministries. A meeting was held, on Tuesday, between Messrs. Hamadi Jebali, Ennahdha’s secretary-general, and Khyam Turki, adviser of the Ettakatol and its campaign manager, during which Ettakatol made clear its position on the three presidencies, of Republic, NCA and Government, and the make-up of the next government, TAP news agency learnt from the same sources. The meeting provided the opportunity for Ennahdha to clarify its position on the issue of the government system, following Mr. Jebali’s recent statement in Sousse on what he called the “Sixth Enlightened Caliphate.” Negotiations went on, on Wednesday morning, between Messrs. Jebali and Turki on the ministerial portfolios of the Foreign Affairs and Justice. Moreover, Ennahdha said, in a communiqué made public on Wednesday, that the candidacies circulated by media on the government formation are mere speculations and have nothing to do with the consultations underway between the representatives of Ennahdha and its political partners. Ennahdha specified that the talks have only centred on the positions of President of the Republic, Prime Minister and the NCA President.