Tunisian former minister Taieb Baccouche Tunis – Azhar Al-Jarboui The leader of the Ennahda movement, Sheikh Rached Ghannouchi, said in a Tunisian radio broadcast that Tunisia’s Call movement is more dangerous than the radical Salafist. He added that resisting the radical Salafism is a phenomenon outside the state’s institutions and it is easier to withstand the returning phenomenon of the dissolved assembly, which is spread in the state’s institutions, involved in corruption, theft and torture and all represented in Tunisia's Call movement.
The Leader of the ruling party in Tunisia, Ghannouchi, invited everyone who cares for the revolution to protect it by preventing the assembly members from going back to the political life.
Ghannouchi added that Tunisia's Call is a mix of the former president’s party, the opportunistic leftists and the corrupt media.
Tunisian former minister and leader in Tunisia's Call Party Taieb Baccouche told Arabstoday that Sheikh Rached Ghannouchi’s statement put him in difficulty, as he contradicts himself.
Baccouche explained: “This is a contradiction, as Ghannouchi’s statements admitted indirectly that the radical Salafist movement is a real threat to the country, which he denied before. How can we call those who set fire in a foreign embassy and destroyed the image of Tunisia “our sons” and accept any dialogue with them, while in reality they are criminals?”
The former minister added that Ghannouchi is one of those who suffered most by the overthrown president Bin Ali and was excluded, but still Ghannouchi wants to exclude others by imposing a new dictatorship, which Baccouche refuses.
Baccouche called for a fair trial to whoever is proven to be involved in the previous regime, without exclusion or political revenge. He considered the statements of the Ennahda leader to imply that Tunisia’s Call party is an enemy and said it’s an important part of the political scene in Tunisia adding: “We treat them with respect and dignity.”
Baccouche denounced the violent attacks on parties’ headquarters and civil organisations in Tunisia accusing “Ghannouchi’s militias” of being responsible for them. He claimed to have reliable information about that and that the ruling troika should take the responsibility and punish the attackers.
Last week, deputy in the Tunisian parliament Ibrahim al-Qassas was subject to a violent attack while heading to meeting held by the party in Kelibia in Nabeul Governorate in the far north-eastern part of Tunisia. Al-Qassas recently joined “Tunisia’ Call” Party after quitting the Popular Petition party (Aridha Chaabia) led by al-Hachemi al-Hamdi.