The Islamist-inspired party Ennahda, whose candidate did not qualify in the first round of presidential elections in Tunisia, officially announced Friday, September 20, its support to academic Kaïs Saïed, who came first.
This new rebound in the campaign of a presidential full of surprises comes after the death of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, chased by the street on January 14, 2011, and died Thursday in exile, in Jeddah Saudi Arabia. Ennahda, a party suppressed under Ben Ali, many of whose members were imprisoned, did not react publicly to this disappearance.
On the other hand, the party, which had not positioned itself in the presidential election in 2014, clearly expressed its support for Kaïs Saïed. "Ennahda has chosen to support the choice of the people," his spokesman Imed Khemiri told AFP.
Kaïs Saïed in the lead with 18.4 % of the votes
Kaïs Saïed, a neophyte in politics and academics perceived as a conservative on societal issues, was a surprise when he led the presidential run on Sunday with 18.4% of the vote. He will be opposed to the second round to advertising Nabil Karoui, suspected of money laundering and incarcerated. The latter had garnered 15.6% of the vote.
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The candidate of Ennahda, Abdelfattah Mourou, the first to seek the supreme magistracy under the label of this party, had collected 12.9%, continuing the erosion noted since 2011.
"This is the general orientation of the party, all its institutions are for the support of Kaïs Saïed," added Khemiri, adding that his party supports "the defense of state sovereignty, the strengthening of democracy and fight against corruption". For political scientist Slaheddine Jourchi, the Islamist group "could not support Nabil Karoui because she is already accused by her base of having dealt with the system to the detriment of her principles".
Support of Moncef Marzouki
Ennahda ruled in coalition with the Nidaa Tounes party, from which Nabil Karoui, who won the elections in 2014 on an anti-Islamist program, was born. This choice has allayed cleavages destabilizing the political landscape in the pioneer country of the Arab Spring, at the cost of major concessions.
The decision to support Kaïs Saïed, who campaigned on criticizing the political system in place, is an attempt by Ennahda to regain its foundations, the political scientist believes. He expects a transfer of a large part of Ennahda's votes, saying that this support should bring him more than it could cost him in image, among a very diverse electorate. Kaïs Saïed has already won the support of other candidates of the first round, including Moncef Marzouki, former President of the Republic.
A man "integrates"
Among them, the conservative politician Lotfi Mraihi, who had won 6.6% of the vote, as well as the lawyer Seifeddine Makhlouf (4.4%), known to have defended jihadists, or the human rights activist Man, Mohamed Abbou (3.63%). They called him an "honest" or "honest" man after a low-cost campaign with the support of many young volunteers.
On the side of Nabil Karoui, few supporters have yet officially manifested themselves. Several appeals have been lodged concerning Sunday's election, postponing the second round of the presidential election either to October 6, the legislative date, or to October 13.
With AFP