The women, who are also making surgical kits, say they miss their families but the camaraderie provides some comfort

The factory normally makes protective equipment for export.

Its entire output of masks, gloves, surgical suits and caps is now being  directed to Tunisian doctors, nurses and hospitals dealing with COVID19.

Tunisia has already had six deaths  from the 227 confirmed cases of coronavirus.

The North Africa country has been in lockdown since Sunday.

Neighbouring Algeria has 409 confirmed cases of COVID 19 which has killed 26 people.

US citizens are there being airlifted out tomorrow in a special charter flight.

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The key has been getting the approval of the majority party in parliament Ennahda.

It’s been a four month battle for Tunisia’s President Kaïs Saied and his Prime Minister Elyes Fakhfakh.

After the moderate Islamist Ennahda Party failed to form a government that met parliamentary approval, the Prime Minister had another go.

Saied warned this week that if it did not pass a no-confidence vote he would be forced to go back to the people.

The government includes Nizar Yaich as Finance Minister, Nourredine Erran in charge of foreign affairs and Imed Hazgui holding the defence portfolio. 

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President Kaïs Saied says he’ll dissolve Parliament today if it rejects the government proposed by his Prime Minister.

The majority Ennhada Party is the stumbling block.

The Prime Minister from this moderate Islamist party named by President  Kaïs Saied stepped down when  he could not find parliamentary approval for a government. 

Saied then named another premier Elyes Fakhfakh who is having similar difficulty because Ennhada is withholding support.

It’s being called the biggest constitutional crisis since Tunisia became independent from France 64 years  ago.

The political impasse aside, Tunisia faces a major economic hurdle when  the four-year International Monetary Fund aid package comes to and end in April.

The post Tunisian face possible election four months after previous poll appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Nabil Karoui, his opponent in last Sunday’s run-off election has conceded defeat.

Official results of Tunisia’s Presidential election reflect a turnout of 55% with retired lawyer Kaïs Saïed getting 72,71 % of the vote and Nabil Karoui 27,29 %.

The television mogul’s acceptance of the result means Tunisia can move on to building the the political consensus it needs to deal with the countrys’ economic stagnation and rising unemployment.

Saïed has the support of the moderate Islamist Ennahda Party that won most votes in the parliamentary election earlier this month but falls far short of a majority in the legislature.

The post Official results confirm Kaïs Saïd as Tunisia’s new President appeared first on Jean-Jacques Cornish.

Kaïs Saïed’s first response to his election win has been to thank your Tunisians for turning a new page in the country’s history.

Saïed says that in the only democracy to have emerged from the 2011 Arab Spring confidence must be renewed between the people and their rulers.

Nabl Karoui says he’ll wait until the  electoral commission officially calls the results today  before deciding whether to contest the outcome.

The millionaire businessman and philanthropist spent all but the last four days of the campaign in jail awaiting trial on tax evasion  and money laundering charges.

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The contest is between two outsiders who beat off the heavyweight establishment figures among the two dozen other contestant.

Conservative lawyer Kaïs Saïed and television mogul Nabil Karoui are the choice of an electorate disillusioned with the performance of the traditional leaders.

Neither managed anything near an outright win, however. Saïed won  18.4% of the vote with Karoui palming 15.6%

In parliamentary elections last week, voters gave the nod to the moderate Islamist Ennahda Party and Karoui’s Qalb Tounes – the Heart of Tunisia.

On a turnout of only 42% of the seven million registered voters, Ennahda won 52 of the 217 parliamentary seats well short of a majority.

It has pledged not to enter into an alliance with  Qalb Tounes so there will be some interesting coalition buildingsin the weeks ahead.

 Karoui was released on bail last week, having been jailed since August 27 to face charges of tax evasion and money laundering.

It was feared his incarceration would jeopardize the crediblity of  the elections which , according to local and international observers, underpinned the Tunisian democracy.

It is not clear whether 54-year-old Karoui will , contest the outcome of the election in which he had barely two days to campaign.

The populist and charismatic self-made businessman has been dubbed Karoui Macaroni because of the money and food he has doled out to Tunisians – 15% of whom live below the poverty line.

Karoui recognized his strength lies attracting the the poor and the one fifth of Tunisians who are feeling the pinch unemployment, rising prices and a stagnating economy.

His campaign suffered a blow when it merged he had bought the services of a Canadian lobbyist  company to secure meeting with US President Donald Trump and others.

It is illegal under Tunisian  law to get help or finance from abroad.

To compound matters the chief executive of the lobbyist group is a former Israel intelligence operative

The head of the observer team from the Johannesburg-based Electoral Commission for a Sustainable Democracy in Africa, former Mauritian president Cassam Uteem,  commended the orderliness of the elections but called, in the name of fairness,  for Karoui to be allowed to participate fully.

Saïed also expressed disquiet about his opponent being jailed. He opted against taking  advantage of this and declined to campaign for the run-off poll.

The 62 year-old, who speaks classical Arabic, has the support of Ennahda.

The backing of that party’s machine and funding from countries like Qatar and Saudi Arabia will stand him on good stead.

In supporting a man who rejects the status quo, Tunsians have a man who favor the return of the death penalty.

He says his wife will not become first lady if he is elected and that he will continue to live in his moderate home rather than move into the presidential palace. 

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His opponent Kaïs Saïed is among those who have said keeping Karoui behind bars jeopardizes the credibility of the the election.

Nabil Karoui has made several unsuccessful bail applications since being detained in August. 

Nevertheless he ran second to Kaïs Saïed in the presidential poll.

Last Sunday his Heart of Tunisia party was second to Ennahda in the  parliamentary election.

Former Mauritian President Cassam Uteem, who headed the observer team of the Electoral Commission for a Sustainable Democracy  in Africa, called for Karoui to be allowed to participate farly.

Whether he will appreciably improve his performance after being released remains to be seen.

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Leader of EISA team, former Mauritian President Cassam Uteem says jailed television mogul Nabil Kasroui should be allowed to participate fully in the Presidential run-off election next Sunday.

Cassam Uteem congratulates the government, the electoral commission, the parties and people of Tunisia for hold a parliamentary election that reflects the will of the nation.

The former Mauritian President expresses concern about the low turnout that kept 58% of the seven million registered voters away from the poll.

And he makes a call ahead of Sunday’s Presidential run-off.

“We have asked the authorities in the name of equal opportunity to allow Nabil Karoui to participate fully in the Presidential run-off poll,” he said

Karoui is awaiting trial on tax evasion and money laundering charges.

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22 women were rescued but a dozen are still missing.

More than 1000 people have died this year trying to cross the Mediterranean from Africa to Europe.

In the Tunisian city of Tatatouine last week, I spoke to would-be migrants wait to meet people smugglers in a coffee bar.

I asked them why they are willing to put their lives and life savings in the hands of people who charge tens of thousands of rands to cram people into unseaworthy vessels.

A young man responded that living without a job and prospects was worse than death 

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