Tunisia's Ennahda promises reshuffle

Fathi al-Ayadi, a member of Tunisia’s ruling party Ennahda, has revealed the official and final date for the hotly anticipated reshuffle of the Tunisian cabinet will take place on January 22. The announcement comes after the Democratic Forum for Labour and Liberties [Ettakkatol], headed by President Mustapha Ben Jaafar, threatened to walk out of government and withdraw its ministers over doubts Ennahda was seriously willing to instigate the reshuffle. An Ettakattol spokesperson told Arabstoday the shake-up would “reassure public opinion” and “open a new page in this crucial phase before the next elections.” Al-Ayada meanwhile questioned the seriousness of Ettakkatol’s threat, claiming “the idea of political coalition is too powerful to be easily abandoned.” The Congress for the Republic Party [CPR], led by President Moncef Marzouki, has threatened more than once to withdraw from government if corruption investigations were not instigated and major decision-making not shared. Reshuffle announcements have been postponed at least three times following stalled negotiations between political blocs, with some claiming Ennahda is clinging to ministries.