Al-Hammami: Israeli normalization condition for financial assistance

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The Secretary-General of the Tunisian Workers' Party, Hama al-Hammami, said, on Monday, that normalization with the Israeli occupation is one of the conditions that accompany international financial support for Tunisia, stressing the existence of lobbies that support this approach.

Al-Hammami said in an interview with Al Mayadeen that "there is no enthusiasm in the Tunisian streets for elections, and the majority will boycott them," noting that "what will happen is nothing more than a political farce and an episode of the coup that was carried out by Kais Saeid [Tunisian president]."

The Secretary-General further added, "We are no longer in a republic, but rather in a sultanate and a monarchy, and then comes the electoral farce in order to install a council without powers," pointing out that the existing electoral code marginalizes political parties, women, young people, as well as it prohibits any discussion of policies and plans at the national level.

He stressed that Tunisia "is in a major political and economic crisis, and this requires a struggle over clear national programs," and explained that "Kais Saied took advantage of a rotten situation in order to carry out a coup against the constitution and the national gains of Tunisia."

IMF conditions Tunisia

Moreover, al-Hammami pointed out that "the Tunisian government is begging internationally in order to obtain financial assistance, but it may not get it from the International Monetary Fund."

He highlights that "the IMF is not an ordinary banking institution, but rather an institution dominated by hegemonic countries that do not lend out money without any conditions."

The Secretary-General of the #Tunisian Workers' Party, Hamma Hammami, to #AlMayadeen: Normalization with the Israeli occupation is one of the conditions that accompany international financial support for #Tunisia, and there are lobbies that support this approach. https://t.co/0WHZsj8dUS

— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 28, 2022

Al-Hammami considered that "solutions to the economic crisis require another leadership that is not a subject to international institutions," adding that "the UGTT's approval of the government's economic decisions will put it in confrontation with its popular base."

Additionally, "The main political and trade union forces are not interested in these elections because their results are known in advance," challenging that "Kais Saied repeats the phrase" normalization is high treason."

Likewise, al-Hamami confirmed the existence of "an African movement that has begun to say 'No to France', therefore, Emmanuel Macron is ready to support the worst dictatorships to preserve his country's influence."

Oppositions in Tunis

Consequently, he said that "the majority of the Tunisian people are on the side of the opposition and the boycott of these elections," adding that "the opposition in Tunisia is divided into many different oppositions, including the right-wing opposition represented by the Salvation Front and the Free Constitutional Party."

On that note, he stressed that "the Labor Party cannot place its hand in that of the Ennahda movement, which bears a major responsibility for national failure in the past ten years."

Al-Hamami believed that "Tunisia needs forces independent of the opposition right-wing forces that differ with Kais Saeid only about the chair, nothing more or less," considering that "the only solution is to overthrow this system through the street, in light of the impossibility of overthrowing it through elections."

It is noteworthy that Tunisia has been suffering from a severe political crisis since July 25, 2021, when Saied began imposing exceptional measures, including dismissing the government, dissolving the Judicial Council, freezing the work of Parliament, issuing legislation by presidential decrees, approving a new constitution through a referendum on July 25, and advancing a date. Parliamentary elections to 17 December next.

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