Tunisian Parliament Approves New Constitution Sunday Jan 26,2014

 

Tunisia's parliament has adopted a new constitution - the first since the ousting of President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali three years ago in 2011

The National Constituent Assembly passed the text by 200 votes from 216.

After the vote on Sunday Jan 26,2014, the Tunisian flag was unfurled and parliamentarians embraced each other inside the chamber.

 

"This constitution, without being perfect, is one of consensus," assembly speaker Mustapha Ben Jaafar said

Parliament agreed the text on Friday after the governing Ennahda party granted a number of concessions, including dropping references to Islamic law.

Ennahda, a moderate Islamist party, won the first democratic elections after long-time ruler Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was forced from power in 2011.

Just before the constitution vote, Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa appointed a caretaker cabinet as part of a deal to end a crisis between Tunisia's Islamist party and its secular opposition until new elections this year.
Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki (R) receives the list proposed government members from PM designate Mehdi Jomaa on January 26, 2014 in Tunis