Tunisia's Ennahda urges for 'comprehensive national dialogue'

By Adel Thabeti

TUNIS, Tunisia (AA) - Tunisia's Ennahda party on Thursday stressed that the solution to Tunisia's ongoing political crisis is through conducting a comprehensive national dialogue.

"There is no exit of such complicated crisis but via a comprehensive national dialogue," said a statement by the Ennahda party following a meeting for its executive body.

The statement called for creating an atmosphere to achieve reforms and open a political horizon in Tunisia.

It also called for ending the "exceptional situation" Tunisia is passing through, "to end the freezing of parliament and to assign the eligible person to form a legitimate government" that is able to address the difficult economic situation of Tunisia.

"The constitution includes mechanisms for its amendment from within, and based on consensus among all political parties and representatives of the civil society," the moderate Islamist party noted.

On Sept. 9, Walid Hajjem, an adviser to President Kais Saied, said in a televised interview that the president was planning to suspend the 2014 constitution and calling to hold a referendum to amend the country’s political system.

Hajjem also said the 2014 constitution of Tunisia is "no longer feasible."

On July 25, Saied ousted the government, suspended parliament, and assumed executive authority. While he insists that his exceptional measures are meant to "save" the country, his critics accuse him of orchestrating a coup.

Tunisia has been seen as the only country that succeeded in carrying out a democratic transition among Arab countries which witnessed popular uprisings to topple ruling regimes, including Egypt, Libya, and Yemen.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara.