Category: Key Issues

Tunis: The date for the presidential elections will be set following the publication of the presidential decree summoning voters to the presidential elections, in accordance with the provisions of Article 101 (new) of the electoral law, said the Council of the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE).

In a press release published on Tuesday, the Electoral Authority specifies that article 101 (new) of the electoral law provides that “the convocation of voters takes place under a presidential decree within a minimum period of three months before the polling day for the legislative, regional, municipal and presidential elections, and within a minimum period of two months for the referendum.

The members of the council of the Electoral Authority, who met on Tuesday at the headquarters of the ISIE, ahead for the next electoral events, also examined the project amending the decision of the Independent Higher Authority for the elections n°2014-18 of August 4, 2014, relating to the rules and procedures for ca
ndidacy for the presidential elections, already amended under ISIE decision n°18-2019.

Participants in the meeting discussed ways to harmonize it with certain articles of the constitution and the electoral law and with article 30 of the penal code.

The members of the council examined the means of adapting decision n°18 of the ISIE to some articles of the constitution including Article 88 (relating to the religion of the candidate), Article 89 (relating to nationality, age and civil and political rights), Article 90 (relating to the dates of elections), the same source adds.

According to the ISIE, Members of the council also discussed the adaptation of the decision in question to the provisions of Articles 40, 41 and 42 of the electoral law and Article 30 of the penal code, relating to ballot No. 3.

The meeting was also an opportunity to examine several issues linked in particular to the monitoring of vacancy filling operations within local, regional and district councils and to the body’s draft budget for
2025.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: A ministerial working session held on Monday at the Government Palace in the Kasbah decided to take practical measures to start the actual use of the biometric national identity card and the biometric passport during the first six months of 2025.

The decision by the steering committee, comprising the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Communication Technologies and the Ministry of Economy and Planning, came after deliberation and discussion on possible proposals and hypotheses regarding the future technical and logistical path for the issuance of these biometric documents, according to a statement from the Prime Ministry.

The participants stressed the need to speed up the selection of the best way to issue the biometric documents so that citizens can benefit from them inside and outside the country’s borders, following the approval of Organic Law No. 22 of 2024 and Organic Law No. 23 of 2024 on the Biometric Identity Card and Passport.

The ministerial working session to further study the national
ID card and biometric passport project, chaired by Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani, was attended by Minister of Interior Kamel Feki, Minister of Finance Sihem Nemsia Boughdiri, Minister of Economy and Planning Feryel Ouerghi Sebai and Minister of Communication Technologies Nizar Ben Neji.

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has recommended that all countries adopt these biometric documents by 2026.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: At the end of the first consultative meeting held in Tunis on Monday at the invitation of President Kais Saied, the leaders of Tunisia, Algeria and Libya stressed the need to unify their positions and consolidate the tradition of consultation on various issues of common interest.

In the final statement of the consultative meeting, read out by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Nabil Ammar, and reported in a video released by the Presidency, the three leaders, after frank and constructive consultations, stressed the importance of organising this meeting and maintaining its periodicity in rotation between the three countries. The aim is to raise the excellent bilateral relations that bind each country to a new qualitative level, going beyond the bilateral framework to collective thinking and action, according to the declaration of the meeting.

The Tunisian, Algerian and Libyan leaders also underlined their shared awareness of the need to unify their positions and step up c
onsultation and coordination in order to strengthen the conditions for security, stability and development throughout the region and increase its resilience.

This is especially true in the light of the emergence of successive regional and international changes and developments, the repercussions of which no country can bear alone, and the urgent need for the three countries to have an audible voice and an influential presence in the various regional and international spaces in which they belong.

They expressed their full readiness to be open to any honest and sincere political will that shares the same common and constructive priority to advance and enrich this common collective action, deepen understanding and cooperation in the service of security, stability and development in the region and distancing it from the politics of axes and the dangers of foreign interference.

The three leaders stressed their countries’ adherence to the independence of national decisions, which derive from the will of their pe
oples, and their keenness to establish relations with other countries and regional and international groupings within the framework of mutual respect and non-interference in internal affairs, while adhering to a multilateral international system that promotes solidarity, justice and fairness in international relations and the equality of all before international law.

They also stressed that such consultation and coordination should not be limited to political issues, but should include all areas of economic and social development for the peoples of the three countries, in order to achieve their legitimate aspirations for stability, prosperity and integration.

The leaders of Tunisia, Algeria and Libya expressed their total rejection of foreign interference in Libyan affairs and their support for efforts to organise elections aimed at preserving the unity and territorial integrity of the Libyan state and ensuring its security, stability and development. At the same time, they stressed the key role of the neig
hbouring countries in supporting the Libyan authorities on the path of stability, security and reconstruction.

They also voiced strong condemnation of the war crimes and genocide committed against the Palestinian people, calling for an immediate and permanent halt to the barbaric aggression and the complete lifting of the siege on the Gaza Strip.

They also expressed their firm support for the Palestinian people and their legitimate right to establish their independent state with Al-Quds as its capital, and their absolute support for the right of the State of Palestine to full and permanent membership in the United Nations Organisation.

The leaders of the three countries warned against the danger of foreign interference in the Sahel-Saharan region, while stressing the need for Arab and African action to assume its responsibility and role in the context of UN efforts to end the suffering of the Sudanese people.

They also emphasised the need to further deepen consultations and exchange analyses, assessments
and information on the phenomena of terrorism, trafficking in human beings, all types of drugs and organised crime, in order to protect the region from these scourges.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: President Kais Saied saw off President of the Republic of Algeria, Abdelmadjid Tebboune and President of the Presidential Council of Libya, Mohamed Yunus al-Menfi, on Monday evening at the presidential suite of Tunis Carthage International Airport.

Algeria’s Tebboune and Libya’s al-Menfi arrived in Tunisia on Monday at the invitation of President Kais Saied, who had announced during his participation in the seventh summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum in Algeria on March 2 that a trilateral Tunisian-Algerian-Libyan meeting would be held in Tunisia

The first consultative meeting concluded with the reading out of the “Tunis Consultation Summit Declaration of Tunisia, Algeria and Libya” by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Nabil Ammar.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: The first consultative meeting between Tunisian President Kais Saied, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and President of the Presidential Council of Libya Mohamed Younes al-Manfi concluded in Tunis on Monday.

Protecting common borders from threats, facilitating the movement of people and goods, boosting intra-trade and establishing joint economic zones between the three countries were the main results of this first consultative meeting between the leaders of Tunisia, Algeria and Libya.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad, Nabil Ammar, read out the declaration of the Tunis Consultative Summit of Tunisia, Algeria and Libya, according to a video released by the presidency.

The three leaders agreed to “form joint working groups to coordinate efforts to protect the security of common borders from the risks and consequences of irregular migration and other manifestations of organised crime, and to develop a participatory development approach to develop these areas,” the decla
ration said.

This is in light of the “challenges and threats faced by the three countries as a result of the ongoing changes in the region and the world and to strengthen various aspects of cooperation and activate joint efforts to enhance the capacity of their peoples to face the consequences of the global economic crisis, particularly in the areas of food, water and energy security”.

They also agreed to “work towards unifying positions and discourse in dealing with the various countries affected by the phenomenon of irregular migration in the northern Mediterranean and sub-Saharan countries”.

The leaders of Tunisia, Algeria and Libya also agreed to “form a joint working group to formulate mechanisms to establish joint major projects and investments in priority areas and sectors. These include grain and fodder production, seawater desalination and other projects and cooperation programmes to achieve water and food security for the three countries, including accelerating the activation of the joint mechani
sm for the exploitation of shared groundwater in the northern Sahara”.

They also agreed to accelerate the implementation of the electricity interconnection project between Tunisia, Libya and Algeria, and to develop cooperation and partnerships in the fields of exploration, production and storage of oil resources, mining, renewable and clean energies such as green hydrogen.

The three Presidents also agreed to overcome the difficulties hindering the flow of goods and merchandise between the three countries, to explore ways to promote intra-trade and to establish joint free trade zones.

They also agreed to accelerate measures to facilitate the movement of people and goods, in particular through the development of road and rail networks and the establishment of a regular maritime link between the three countries.

It was also agreed to develop action programmes to promote the various aspects of the common cultural heritage, to strengthen cooperation in the fields of scientific research, vocational training, mo
dern technologies, student and youth exchanges, and to encourage the production of joint cultural and educational programmes.

At the end of the meeting, it was decided to designate “contact points” from each country to follow up on the implementation of the agreements reached, in preparation for the next consultative meeting, the date and venue of which will be determined by agreement between the leaders of the three countries.

Algerian President Tebboune and Libyan President Al-Manfi arrived in Tunisia on Monday at the invitation of President Kais Saied, who had announced during his participation in the seventh summit of the Gas Exporting Countries during his participation in the seventh summit of the Forum of Gas Exporting Countries Forum in Algeria on March 2 that Tunisia would host a trilateral meeting between Tunisia, Algeria and Libya

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: The system for issuing and renewing passports for the Tunisian community abroad was the focus of a ministerial working session held on Monday at the Government Palace in the Kasbah, chaired by Prime Minister Ahmed Hachani and attended by Interior Minister Kamel Feki, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad Nabil Ammar and a number of officials from the two ministries.

The Prime Minister stressed the need to strengthen coordination between all stakeholders and to improve the management and administration of the passport issuing and renewal system for the Tunisian community abroad, through the digitalisation of services and the shortening of the time frame for issuing and receiving passports.

For his part, the Minister of Interior gave a presentation on the state of equipment and materials for passport production units in the country and abroad, according to a statement from the Prime Ministry.

Participants in the meeting also discussed various procedural and legal aspects that wou
ld facilitate access to various consular services for Tunisian citizens living abroad.

After discussion and deliberation, it was decided to provide the necessary number of new passports for the coming period, while exceptionally shortening the deadlines for the provision of consular services.

It was also decided to limit the time limit for issuing passports to 15 days in the case of retained files, with the agreement of the Ministries of the Interior and Foreign Affairs.

It was also decided to adopt a unified communication strategy between the Ministries of the Interior and Foreign Affairs with a view to informing Tunisian citizens at home and abroad of all updates and information relating to the provision of administrative services, particularly consular services.

It was also decided to continue the current practice of issuing courtesy visas by the heads of diplomatic missions, pending the revision of Decree No. 198 of June 22, 1968 on the regulations governing the entry and residence of foreigners in Tu
nisia.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: Regulatory decisions regarding the electoral process, in particular those governing the procedures and criteria for candidacy in the forthcoming elections, must comply with the Constitution as a supreme text in the hierarchy of national standards and must also comply with the electoral law, President of the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE) Farouk Bouasker underlined on Monday.

During an evaluation session with members of the Central Directorate of Legal Affairs and Campaign Control, Bouasker pointed out that the monitoring work carried out by this structure is not limited to the election campaign period. It will begin when the electoral calendar for the next elections is announced.

He pointed out the importance of the role assigned to the Legal Affairs Directorate, which requires a high level of legal expertise, a duty of neutrality and an obligation of restraint and professional secrecy.

Bouasker underlined concern to successfully organise fair and transparent elections, free from an
y manifestation of corrupt political money or the influence of organisations, the media or misleading opinion polls on the free and informed will of the voters, to combat all forms of defamation and slander, and to enforce the law for all without distinction or exception, an ISIE press release on Monday reads.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Carthage: President of Algeria Abdelmadjid Tebboune and President of the Presidential Council of Libya Mohamed Younes al-Menfi arrived Monday in Tunis, at the invitation of President of the Republic Kais Saied.

The Head of State saw his two counterparts in at the Presidential Airport, while the national anthems of the three countries were performed, before reviewing with each of the two guests a detachment of the three armies paying them honours.

The two Presidents are paying a visit to Tunisia to participate in the first consultative meeting between the leaders of the three sisterly countries, according to the Presidency of the Republic press released issued last Saturday.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: Over 100 civil society activists, politicians and public figures signed a joint statement on Sunday, in which they called for “the electoral process to not be altered by adding new standards modifying the conditions for candidacy”.

The signatories stressed the need to refrain from making any changes to the electoral law and to the conditions for standing as a candidate in the forthcoming presidential election, with the exception of age and nationality requirements, indicating that any changes made by the Independent High Authority for Elections (French: ISIE) to this end will undermine its credibility.

The signatories also called for not depriving, under any pretext, candidates who have not been definitively convicted of their right to run for the presidency.

They further urged for the setting up of the Constitutional Court and the judicial, administrative and financial order, as well as the withdrawal of Decree-Law 35, which allows the President of the Republic to dismiss judges without consulting
the relevant judicial authorities.

Decree-law no. 54 must also be annulled and platforms of TV and radio institutions must be made open to both supporters of the “process” and its opponents, in particular the presidential candidates, they added.

The joint statement was inked by 102 civil society activists, politicians and public figures, including professor Sadok Belaid, former minister and human rights activist Kamel Jendoubi, Coalition Soumoud General Coordinaor Houcem El Hami, former minister Faouzi Abderrahman, former MP Mustapha Ben Ahmed, and academic Youssef Seddik.

The presidential election are expected to be held in Q4 of 2024. The 2022 Constitution stipulates that the presidential election should be held during the last three months of the Presidential term.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad organized, Saturday and Sunday, a “promotional” tour destined to heads of diplomatic missions accredited in Tunisia so as to promote Tunisia’s North-West destination.

At least 43 ambassadors accompanied by their spouses, representing various continents and countries were part of the promotional tour, reads a statement of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.

The goal of the tour is to promote the cultural, economic, material and intangible heritage of Tunisia as well as consolidate ties with the diplomatic corps within the framework of economic and cultural diplomacy.

The programme of the promotional tour involved visits to several archaeological and historical sites such as the Archaeological Site of Dougga in the governorate of Beja which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List, the Site of Sidi Boumakhlouf in Kef and the Archaeological Site of Bulla Regia in the governorate of Jendouba.

The heads of diplomatic missions and their spous
es were introduced to the cultural aspects of these sites, namely the civilizational and cultural heritage of the North-West region, as well as various tourist products.

During the tour, the guests inquired about investment opportunities in the fields of promoting small businesses and providing support young entrepreneurs, artisans and corporate citizens. The goal is to help create job opportunities and consolidate regional development efforts, the same source said.

Taking the floor in a meeting held, Sunday, in Tabarka with the heads of participating diplomatic missions, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad Nabil Ammar expressed Tunisia’s willingness to foster its relations with these countries as well as with other countries around the world within the framework of a fruitful bilateral partnership.

He reiterated the cornerstones of the Tunisian diplomacy, particularly Tunisia’s support for the values of justice, peace and security in the world and its commitment to just causes, inc
luding first and foremost the Palestinian cause.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse