Tunisian NCA appoints Ben Jaafar to draft constitution

Sources in Tunis said that the moderate Islamic party Ennahda, appointed Mustapha Ben Jaafar to head the commitee in charge of drafting the constitution. Ben Jaafar, leader of the Democratic Forum for Labor and Liberties (FDTL), was chosen after several heated debates. Amer Arayedh was said to have been chosen to head  the Rules of Procedure Committee of the Tunisian National Constituent Assembly, asserting that the blocs in the assembly agreed that the speaker of the NCA Mustapha Ben Jaafar is to head the committee to oversee the formation of the coming constitution. Arayedh stated that appointing Ben Jaafar was agreed on by consensus among the assembly members. “The bylaws were finalized and will be presented, and voted on, during the general session,” said Arayedh. Prior to Ben Jaafar’s appointment, controversy erupted within the assembly when several representatives of Ennahda wanted to appoint another member, however in the end the party with the majority of votes finally accepted the appointment of Ben Jaafar, in order to  the peace within the assembly.