Traps are in the crossfire of corruption ... The government is at stake and its allies are ready for all scenarios

In a remarkable development for the accusation of corruption and conflicts of interests that haunt the Tunisian Prime Minister, Elias Al-Fakhfakh, the head of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Shawky al-Tabib, confirmed during a parliamentary session that what he did was considered contrary to the law and the constitution, putting the future of the entire government at stake.

The doctor pointed out during the hearing that the traps had contributions to 5 commercial companies that dealt directly with the state that the authority did not know about, in clear violation of Chapter 90 of the constitution that prohibits the prime minister and his members from engaging in any commercial activity during their tenure.

The Chairman of the Commission pointed out that the traps "remained an agent of 3 companies in parallel with his assumption of his job at the head of the government, and he did not give up his contribution to it until recently," stressing the need for the state to rescind its contracts with these companies.

And the Prime Minister has already announced during a parliamentary session that he is ready to resign if there is any evidence regarding his violation of the law.

Conditional support
The head of the Shura Council, Al-Nahda Movement, Abdul Karim Al-Harouni, said in a press statement that the movement is following with interest the investigation prospects for the trap file, and that it will determine in this light its position on the government.

He stressed that "no one is above the law, and that Renaissance cannot share with a party tainted by corruption suspicions in the same government," as he put it.

In a related context, Al-Harouni explicitly acknowledged that expanding the government coalition and engaging the heart of Tunisia has become conditions for the movement and not a choice, he said.

The leader of the Renaissance, Khalil Baroumi, told Al-Jazeera Net that the movement is awaiting the results of the investigations assigned to the judicial and parliamentary authorities to take the appropriate decision regarding the continuation of the support of the government of the traps or not.

The spokesman rejected the accusations that affected the movement of exploiting the corruption suspicions surrounding the traps and exchanging it by pushing it towards expanding the government coalition.

Baroumi stressed in the conclusion of his speech that Renaissance is keen on the principle of government stability, in light of urgent social and economic stakes, despite its dissatisfaction with the current composition of the government coalition, and the absence of the principle of solidarity and harmony among its components.

Observers believe that the accusation of "conflict of interest" that is hovering around the prime minister injured the Tunisians' confidence in their government, and embarrassed supportive parties, after adopting slogans such as resisting corruption, transparency and restoring confidence in the ruling political class.

The MP, Badr al-Din al-Qamudi, a member of the People's Movement, said in a media statement that his party would review its relationship with the prime minister if the conflict of interest charge was proven, and that he would be dissolved from any governmental path tainted by corruption.

Muhammad Ammar, a member of the Democratic Movement, which is one of the components of the government coalition, considered that the prime minister was clear when he admitted his willingness to submit his resignation in the event that the charges against him were proven judicially.

Political blackmail,
Ammar was surprised in his speech to Al-Jazeera Net, the head of the Anti-Corruption Commission, silent throughout that period, about raising the conflict of interests file, even though the authority had all the data related to the status of the Fakhfakh companies during his statement of his properties since 2018, he said.

The MP did not rule out the attempt by some parties to "blackmail" the prime minister with such files, with the aim of demeaning the anti-corruption policy in which the traps and his ministerial team were launched, and they stole incendiary files of businessmen that others did not dare open, according to his estimation.

He stressed that the statements of the Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission are not a measure for the Democratic Movement to take a decisive position on the traps, and that the party will determine the fate of the government and its president in the light of the results of judicial investigations.

A statement issued today, Tuesday, by the Democratic Current Party, reiterated its confidence in the prime minister, awaiting the results of the work of the supervisory institutions charged with investigating the suspicion of corruption, confirming the party's commitment to its principles in the fight against corruption regardless of people.

It is noteworthy that a parliamentary investigation committee called the opposition "Heart of Tunisia" and the opposition "Dignity Coalition" will start its work to investigate the file of suspicion of corruption and conflicts of interests that circulate around the Prime Minister, Elias Al-Fakhakh, in the event that no position or comment is issued by the Presidency on the issue.