The curtain has finally fallen on the episode of the formation of Habib Essid’s government, the first of the 2nd Republic. Confidence was won by a majority of 166 votes of members of the House of People’s Representatives (HPR) of a total of 204 present at the plenary session, while thirty deputies voted against and eight abstained at the end of a marathon two-day general debate.
MPs voted after hearing the Prime Minister’s responses to their remarks, comments and requests for clarification on the composition and program of the government.
While expressing full awareness of the scale of the task awaiting his team, Habib Essid said in substance to members of the HPR, “If we are here today before you, it is because the national duty has called us.
The task is not easy; it is not impossible either, as long as combined efforts are exerted and that everyone contributes, from his position, to the creation of a climate that allows for dealing with the challenges “we will have to face. ”
He proposed the creation of an advisory council of parties that would hold regular meetings to exchange views, provide solutions to problems faced by the government and seek the broadest possible compromise.
Within 10 days of his appointment, he added, every minister should have studied his files and chosen five essential files, to which he will have to find solutions within the first 100 days of office of the government; this would give 120 important measures in the various fields.
Regarding the proposed work methodology, Habib Essid said the Government will, initially, take a dozen immediate measures that “will be assessed from a quantitative and not qualitative indicator,” announcing also an orientation plan to serve as a platform for drawing up the next development plan (Tunisia had no development plan for four years) and a supplementary state budget within three months.
He said the municipal elections could be held in late 2015 or the first half of 2016, but MPs first need to pass the law on local elections and amend the law on municipalities.
On a number of issues not covered by the government program presented to Parliament, such as the issues of women, children, constitutional institutions to be created, phosphate, energy and Tunisians engaged in armed conflicts, Essid pledged to provide solutions to these problems as soon as possible.
In terms of architecture of the government and the requests made by some MPs for the creation of other ministries, Habib Essid said to have set a rule not to create ministries in areas within the jurisdiction of existing constitutional bodies, like the call of the creation of a ministry in charge of governance.
In response to a question that was frequently asked at the general debate on the composition of the government, Habib Essid responded by saying: “This is not a party quota-sharing government. It is rather a strengthened national unity government to which were incorporated national competences”, adding:” 25 members of this government represent the five parties that form its backbone while experts (apolitical) are 16 in number, all chosen based on the criteria of competence and integrity. The representativeness of regions was also taken into consideration,” he noted.
He has, moreover, assured that if the guilt of a government member is established,” he will be immediately and forthwith removed from office.”