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 Tunisia Live - Hend Hassassi - The composition of Tunisia’s official delegation to the 42nd annual World Economic Forum - held in Davos, Switzerland – has been the center of a recent controversy in Tunisia.
Tunisian Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali, has been accused by opposition members of choosing representatives to attend the WEF on the basis of party affiliation.
Ridha Saidi - Deputy Minister of Economy in charge of economic affairs and a member of Ennahda’s executive bureau, Rafik Abdessalem - Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Mondher Ben Ayed – former President of the Tunisian-American Chamber of Commerce (a businessman with ties to Ennahda), were all members of the official committee accompanying Jebali. Ben Ayed also accompanied Rached Ghannouchi in his most recent visit to the United States.
According to Zoubair Shhoudi, an Ennahda member, all of the Tunisian guests to the event received personal invitations from the WEF, and denied Jebali’s involvement in the selection of the official Tunisian delegation. “They were all personally invited by the organizing committee of the WEF. It was not an official governmental invitation,” said Shhoudi.
Jounaidi Abdel Jawad, a Modernist Democratic Pole (PDM) member of the Constituent Assembly, criticized the composition of the Tunisian delegation at the WEF. “There has to be a total separation between party affiliation and government, the delegation should have included experts in it.” Abdel Jawad stated.
Mustapha Kamel Nabli, Governor of the Central Bank of Tunisia (BCT), attended the WEF as a representative of the BCT. However, he was not a representative of the official delegation accompanying Jebali.
Rached Ghannouchi was invited by the organizing committee of the World Economic Forum, as the head of a political movement, to participate in several conferences related to the Arab Spring . His son, Moadh Ghannouchi, accompanied him reportedly for logistic needs, translation, and secretarial purposes.
“Neither Ghannouchi nor his family members are appropriate representatives of the Tunisian people,” said Abdel Jawad.
According to the Tunisian daily – Le Quotidien – Minister of Finance Houcine Dimassi explained that the reason for his absence at the WEF was that he did not receive an invitation from the head of the provisional government.
Dimassi is a member of the Ettakatol party, one of three governing parties in coalition with Ennahda.
Dimassi said that Jebali chose the delegation accompanying him at the forum, and he preferred to be accompanied by Ridha Said (his economic adviser) rather than the Minister of Finance.
Concerning Moadh Ghannouchi’s presence at the WEF, Shhoudi said, “He was needed for translation purposes. It is every guest’s right to take whomever he wants to accompany him.”
WEF could not be reached for comment about their role in inviting the official Tunisian delegation.
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