Amal Hilali - Tunisia
For the second time in a row, in less than two weeks, Tunisian President Kais Said opened the palace of Carthage to young people in some marginalized states, who have struggled to walk to the capital, in a move they say is symbolic to convey their voices and concerns of those who complain of poverty, unemployment and illiteracy.
Many interpreted the president's keenness not to close the doors of the palace to this group of young people, despite a campaign of criticism from some intellectual and political elites under the pretext of the practice of "populism", as a message of recognition for the gratitude of the youth of the interior who were the greatest supporter in his campaign.
From Kasserine to Carthage
Maher Souilimi is one of dozens of young people from Kasserine province in the center of Tunisia, who have endured the difficulty of reaching the capital on foot and a distance of about 290 km, ending the stable after a week of walking in the presidential palace in Carthage.
The young man who holds a university degree in finance and unemployed since 2010 - in a statement to Al Jazeera Net - that the movement, which was carried out with 23 young people from the province of Kasserine from different social and educational classes, was spontaneous and away from all political calculations or personal interests.
The state, which sparked the revolution, occupies the second place at the national level in terms of poverty rate of 32.8%, unemployment by 22%, while illiteracy rate is 55%, according to official government figures.
Al-Suwailmi pointed out that the convoy, which launched from Kasserine and raised the slogan "We love Naishu Kifkm", aims to draw the attention of new officials and rulers to the suffering of the people of these disadvantaged parties from fair development and the most basic rights to live in dignity.
On the scenes of the meeting, which brought them together with the President of the Republic at the presidential palace, Ibn Kasserine appreciated the President's keenness to meet them, where they talked about the concerns of youth in the region, especially the problem of unemployment and the absence of the elements of development, employment, health and education.
The young man recalled a meeting months ago for President Qais Sa'id during his explanatory election campaign, which brought him to the youth of this region in one of its popular cafes, stressing that the President remained as driven by his spontaneity and listening to young people, in an attempt to stimulate the motivation and open the doors of hope for change, after despair reached them over.
An impressive encounter
The inhabitant of the Carthage Palace met more than a week ago with the unemployed students of Gafsa province in the south of Tunisia, who decided to come on foot to meet him, in a symbolic step to convey their suffering and the concerns of their disadvantaged parties.
The image of the President, which embraced one of the young people of this region, which appeared to be highly sensitive, has received unprecedented interaction from different spectrums of the people, in a scene that did not get used to the palace staff visitors who reflected their features and appearance bitter reality without frills or falsification.
A source close to President Qais Saeed told Al Jazeera Net that all the young people who came to meet him on foot were not their goal of seeking employment or obtaining financial assistance, but delivered their issues to the rulers to put them before their responsibilities.
The same source replied to those who described the president's meetings as a populist reminder, recalling that he was elected from about three million Tunisians, mostly young people, pointing out that the Carthage Palace is not exclusive to anyone and that it is open to all categories of people without discrimination.
The results of a sounding opinion published by the company "Sigma Consai" on Sunday, the level of confidence in Tunisian President Kais Said increased by 87.3%, in parallel with the decline in the pessimism of the overall situation from 89% last March to 30% this month.