Amal Hilali - Tunisia

The defeat of the two candidates, Youssef Chahed and Abdel Karim Zubeidi, in the first round of the presidential elections, was not enough, according to observers, to declare a political truce between the prime minister and his defense minister, stopping the escalation and mutual accusations that characterized their campaigns.

After the witness issued an open invitation to Zubaidi to overcome all the differences and sit at the same table to assemble the centrist progressive family in order to win the legislative battle, the response was categorically rejected by his defense minister, calling on him to resign.

Zubaidi attacked the witness through a lengthy posting, blaming him for worsening the economic situation and deteriorating the lives of citizens and destroying political and party life, and called on him to resign from his position at the head of the government.

The defense minister, who returned after the election to exercise his job in the government of the witness, called on Tunisians who gave him their vote to elect what he described as democratic, centrist and modernist forces, excluding the witness party "Long live Tunisia."

He called explicitly for the release of imprisoned presidential candidate Nabil Karawi, in the framework of what he described the principle of equal opportunities between the candidates and respect for the requirements of the Constitution.

The witness expressed surprise at Zubaidi's demand to resign, describing his irresponsible statements, days before the legislative elections, recalling that the resignation of the prime minister necessarily means the resignation of all members of the government, including the Minister of Defense.

Convulsive statements
The deputy head of the movement "Long live Tunisia" Mustafa bin Ahmed - in a statement to the island Net - that the accusations made by al-Zubaidi against the witness and his call for him to resign "is misplaced and characterized by convulsion and haste."

He pointed out that Zubaidi, who is still exercising his functions as a member of the government of the witness - necessarily bear the consequences of its policies, whether negative or positive, adding that in return, the Minister of Defense, if he had a problem with the performance of his prime minister to raise this within the government and not outside.

He warned of the danger of transferring the electoral battle to the heart of the government and its repercussions on the stability of the state, in a political and security environment that requires caution.

The death of President Beji Caid Essebsi sparked the controversy between the witness and Zubaidi, who rose to prominence after his success in organizing a solemn funeral for the late president.

Previously, the defense minister had publicly announced through the private channel "Hannibal" that he had failed a coup attempt that was being waged within the corridors of the parliament, with the aim of removing Qaid Essebsi from power during his illness, pointing the finger of the prime minister and his party.

Many believe that Zubaidi's presidential campaign and his direct rival witness were characterized by escalation and mutual accusations about the exploitation of state institutions and public utilities to serve the electoral campaign for this and that, while many criticized the disclosure of both contenders state secrets of the media in the battle to settle political scores.

Presidential shock
Al-Sahabi MP Bin Faraj considered that the middle family to which both the candidates witness and Zubaidi did not yet absorb the "presidential shock" and could not overcome the effects of the punitive vote of this whole political faction.

In his speech to Al Jazeera Net, Bin Faraj criticized the absence of real revisions, in return for the logic of personal justifications for the defeat, expressing concern about the results of the legislative elections, which will strengthen - according to him - the loss of democratic forces in the light of fragmentation.

The MP described the political scene as bad, calling the witness and Zubaidi to turn the page of the presidential elections and treating statesmen responsibly within the government, away from the logic of healing and settling scores.

He expressed his fear for the results of the legislative elections in light of the continued fragmentation between political forces and party, and enter into the cycle of political instability.

It is noteworthy that Zubaidi had been ranked fourth in the first round of the presidential election premature with 10.73% of the vote, followed by witness with 7.38%.

Al-Zubaidi, according to the government news agency reported today, appealed the ruling of the Appeals Chamber, which rejected his appeal against the Electoral Commission, regarding the preliminary results of the presidential elections.