Judicial system defers verdict over socialist democratic movement
Tunisia, Judicial, 11/3/1997

A Tunisian First Degree Court deferred its verdict on the dispute between the two sides of the Socialist Democratic Movement till next month. The majority of the Movement members led by Lawyer Mohammed Ali Khalafala decided to go to court in order to sack the present secretary general of the Movement Ismail Abu Laihya.

The Movement has 9 seats out of the total 19 seats won by the opposition in the parliament in Tunisia. This dispute arose when the faction lead by the former deputy head of the Movement Ismail Abu Laihya held an exceptional conference last month in the absence of press and the representatives of other parties which led to electing Abu Laihya as secretary general of the Movement. Six parliamentarians together with some members of the National Council did not recognize these decisions and asked Mohammed Khalafala who was appointed the Movement coordinator to file a suit against Abu Laihya and the new political office appointed by the exceptional conference.

Going to court demonstrates the severity of the dispute which aggravated during the Movement election for the permanent committees in the parliament as the Movement¹ representatives submitted their application without consultation or coordination.

Political sources disclosed that there are some attempts to end the gap between the two sides and to hold a reconciliatory conference next Spring. But sources in the leadership of both sides ruled out this possibility and confirmed that the division is final and that the court is the only place to discuss this issue.

Previous Stories:
  Tunisian president visits France today   (10/20/1997)
  Tunisian cabinet reshuffle   (10/11/1997)
  Tunis chosen as African trade union capital   (9/13/1997)

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