Tunisia's president on
Tuesday accused the prime
minister of seeking power
through a secret deal with an
Islamist party, the latest sign
of tension at the top ahead of elections. Prime Minister Youssef
Chahed had gained the
backing of the Ennahdha
party to stand in the
presidential polls, President
Beji Caid Essebsi said, quoted by Al Arab
newspaper. "Chahed wants to stay in
power... Ennahdha has
understood his ambition...
They have pushed him to
create a new party which
divides power between them after the 2019 elections,"
said Essebsi, whose
comments were verified by
the presidency. Chahed was appointed by
Essebsi in 2016 but relations
between the pair have
strained in recent months,
fuelling speculation the prime
minister will run in this year's presidential election. For his part, 92-year-old
Essebsi indicated he would
not seek a second term. "My ambition is not to stay
president for life. I am not in
favour of a president for life,"
he said. Essebsi's claim of a private
pact by Chahed comes as
the premier prepares for
elections with a progressive
platform - the Tahia Tounes
movement - described as being in opposition to
Ennahdha. Its political stance is similar
to that of Essebsi's secularist
Nidaa Tounes, which won
the 2014 elections and
formed a coalition with
Ennahdha that lasted four years. Nidaa Tounes has since split
and its leader, Essebsi's son
Hafedh, has been battling to
oust the prime minister for
months.