Tunisian political parties agree on roadmap to end impasse

Leaders of 21 Tunisian parties and movements, participating in Saturday's Quartet-sponsored national dialogue, have signed a roadmap to end the country's months-long political deadlock. The parties approved the Quartet initiated roadmap after introducing minor amendments to the original text. The signatories including representatives of the ruling Islamist Ennahdha Party, Nidaa Tounes Movement and the opposition umbrella group National Salvation Front parties. However, Representatives of three parties have refused to sign the document, namely Congress for the Republic (CPR) Secretary General Imed Daimi, Reform and Development Party Secretary General Mohamed Goumani and spokesman for Al-Mahaba Movement Said Kharchoufi. But then accepted to receive the roadmap document. The national dialogue started at Saturday afternoon in the presence of the Quartet sponsoring the dialogue, the Caretaker President of the Republic, the President of the National Constituent Assembly (NCA), the Interim Prime Minister, political parties' leaders and national figures. This dialogue is meant to implement the roadmap proposed by the Quartet last September 17 to find a solution to the political crisis faced by the country. Under this roadmap, the current government agrees to resign within a period of three weeks from the date of the commencement of the dialogue. The different political stakeholders must also accept the formation of a government headed by an independent person and whose members will not run for the next elections. The opening session faced delay of more than three hours due, according to political and union leaders, to the finalization of some arrangements and the condition imposed by the National Salvation Front requiring the signing by political parties of the roadmap document before the start of the national dialogue.