News

In a sign that neither side in Libya’s highly polarised political environment is prepared to shift its position and is losing interest in dialogue, UN Special Envoy Bernardino Leon has announced that the dialogue talks which were supposed to start tomorrow, Tuesday, have been postponed until early next week.

Moncef Marzouki and Beji Caid Essebsi are to face off on December 21 in Tunisia’s second round of presidential voting to decide who leads the nation that sparked the Arab Spring.

“Voting will take place on December 21,” the head of the ISIE electoral organising body, Chafik Sarsar, told a news conference on Monday.

He said citizens living abroad will be able to cast their ballots on December 19, 20 and 21.

Mis en délibéré, les jugements rendus en appel par le Tribunal administratif relatifs aux recours formés par l’avocat du candidat à l’élection présidentielle Moncef Marzouki ont été prononcés ce dimanche.

La totalité des recours déposés par le candidat Moncef Marzouki contre l’Instance supérieure indépendante des élections (ISIE) ont été acceptés quant à la forme et rejetés quant au fond.

Tunisia’s new parliament held its inaugural session on Tuesday, a landmark in the country’s often fraught transition to democracy since the 2011 revolution which sparked the Arab Spring.

After the singing of the national anthem, National Constituent Assembly (NCA) speaker Mustapha Ben Jaafar opened the gathering of 217 members of parliament who were elected in October.

“Tunisia has managed to secure a peaceful power transfer in a fluid and civilized manner that will ensure the gradual introduction of democratic traditions,” he told deputies.

On the second day of the second track negotiations on Darfur in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Monday, Dr Jibril Ibrahim's Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Minni-Minawi (SLM/A-MM) handed the AU mediation team (AUHIP) under the chairmanship of former South African President Thabo Mbeki their vision for a comprehensive political solution in Sudan.

The vision of both Gibril and Minawi is summarised in a comprehensive solution to the political issue as an entry point for a solution to all the issues of Sudan.

Le taux global de participation aux élections présidentielles dans toutes les circonscriptions s'est élevé pour atteindre 64,4%. Chafik Sarsar a donné les dernières statistiques, lors de la conférence de presse tenue ce soir, sur les taux de participation dans les différentes circonscriptions.
 Ainsi le taux d'affluence le plus élevé à été enregistré dans le gouvernorat de Tataouine avec 73,2% contre 52,8% à Jendouba, le plus faible taux.
Dans le Grand Tunis, les taux sont repartis comme suit:
- Tataouine : 73,2% (Il s’agit du taux de participation le plus élevé)

The European Union delegation in Khartoum said EU diplomats didn’t discuss financial support to the upcoming elections scheduled for April 2015 with the Sudanese electoral body.

A member of the National Election Commission (NEC) criticised the EU for setting preconditions for financial contribution to the organisation of the elections.

The EU stipulated an agreement between the government and the opposition parties over the electoral process, said NEC commissioner Safwat Subhi Fanous in statement to the semi-official SMC.