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A New Head of Goverment

Tunisia’s National Constituent Assembly voted overwhelmingly Sunday night to adopt a new constitution.

The final draft is the result of meticulous and often contentious negotiations, but was overwhelming approved by assembly members. Over 90 percent of the membership (200 members) voted for it, 12 voted against, and 4  abstained. This support far exceeded the two-thirds majority needed for passage.

The vote followed a floor reading of the entire 146-article document, the product of two years of work.

The National Constituent Assembly (NCA) administrative office is preparing to take “punitive measures” against absentee members, according to state news agency TAP.

Independent NCA member Hatem Klai told TAP on Monday that the measures will also apply to withdrawn NCA members and will only tackle absences recorded during the months of July, August, and September.

The disciplinary action would “ensure the commitment of deputies in order to finish the assembly’s mission,” Klai said to TAP. 

Members of the ruling coalition threatened that they would “push forward” with the constitution and electoral law in the National Constituent Assembly without the opposition should protests continue and political talks fail to materialize.

“We want these sides to realize that they cannot impose a solution from the street,” Tarek Kahlaoui of the Congress for the Republic, President Moncef Marzouki’s party, said.

Tunisia's governing Islamists on Thursday agreed in principle to a trade union proposal that it step down to make way for a transitional government and new elections.

The coalition's approval of the plan may open up an immediate dialogue with the its secular opponents and end the unrest that erupted after the assassination of an opposition figure in July.

"Our response to the initiative of the union was positive as a platform for dialogue with the political parties," said Ameur Larayedh, a senior official in the moderate Islamist ruling party Ennahda.

Tunisia's embattled Constituent Assembly has been suspended indefinitely, ahead of planned mass protests calling for the body to be dissolved, its speaker said.

The latest twist came on Tuesday as hundreds of demonstrators started to gather outside the assembly building for a mass rally called by the opposition aimed at pressuring the government to step down.

The head of the Constituent Assembly and Secretary General of the centre-left party Ettakatol Mustafa Ben Jaffar announced to the nation on Tuesday that the constituent assembly or parliament would be suspended.

President Moncef Marzouki has decided to extend the state of emergency to three months as of July 3, the Presidency of the Republic announced on Monday.

The decision came after the proposal of military and security officials and after consultations with Prime Minister Ali Larayedh and National Constituent Assembly (NCA) President Mustapha Ben Jaafar, the same source added.

In another connection, the Presidency reported the improvement of the security situation in the country thanks to the efforts and sacrifices made by the national army and security forces.

Le bureau de la nouvelle Isie se compose des personnes suivantes :

Juges judiciaires : Safi-Eddine El Haj, Mourad Ben Moula, Hasna Ben Slimane, Samia El Bokri.

Magistrats : Abdessatar Khlifi, Mohsen Belkhiria, Naoual Hannachi, Lamia Zargouni

Finances publiques : Abdelkhalek Boujnah, El Borni El Amri, Wafa Khouaja et Raja Hannachi.

Huissiers de justice : Rim Selliti, Naoual Chradi.

ssues related to the draft Constitution and ways to reach compromise were discussed at a meeting held Tuesday between Caretaker President Moncef Marzouki and members of Ennahdha National Constituent Caucus in the National Constituent Assembly (NCA).

At the end of the meeting, President of Ennahdha bloc Sahbi Atig stressed the need to find a common ground on conflicting issues raised after the submission of the draft Constitution, the Presidency of the Republic said in a press release.