Mohamed Hechmi Hamdi, leader of the Current of Love (Tayar al- Mahaba) party was sure he might fare well in the November 2014 presidential elections even though he spent the last couple of decades abroad in Great Britain, where he also holds citizenship. His party, however, lost seats in the October parliamentary elections. Still, the proud Tunisian ranked fourth in the presidential election.

Mohamed Hechmi Hamdi, leader of the Current of Love (Tayar al- Mahaba) party was sure he might fare well in the November 2014 presidential elections even though he spent the last couple of decades abroad in Great Britain, where he also holds citizenship. His party, however, lost seats in the October parliamentary elections. Still, the proud Tunisian ranked fourth in the presidential election.

The announcement of the elections’ preliminary results showed that you ranked fourth, how do you assess these results, after you claimed you would be the net President of Tunisia?

 These are the rules of the electoral game. It is true that I did not win, but the results I achieved were not too negative.  Being among the first four names, ahead of many well-known political figures is not easy.  Now, I want to take a break and spend time with my family, but I will later speak in great length about these results.

 Some were surprised because of your quick return to London. You did not even wait for the official release of the final results. Can we say that the reason behind this that you admit your defeat and you have the desire to escape again?

 There are no secrets and it is not because I wanted to escape or withdraw from political life.  I only wanted to have some rest and to review some of the issues in order to asses these results based on logic. I assure my supporters that I am still defending their rights and interests and I will not surrender.

 After the shock of the loss in the legislative elections you decided to withdraw from the presidential elections, but then again you quickly changed your mind and announced that that you would continue to participate in the race and return to Tunisia.  Why have you been so indecisive?

In the beginning, I want to point out that Current of Love was influenced by the bipolarity between the Ennahda Movement and Nidaa Tounes.  In the legislative elections, the rule during the electoral process was either one is with the Ennahda Movement or against it.  If one is against it, he should vote for the Nidaa Tounes. 

This “punitive” voting made many other parties lose in these elections and the loss was not only limited to the Current of Love. Several long-established parties, which had their strong presence in the previous elections, were impacted with this dual polarization, such as the Congress Party for the Republic, the Democratic Forum for Labour and Liberties (Takatol), and the Republican Party. Moreover Current of Love lost a number of seats because of the neutral stances of the al-Mustaqila (Independent) TV channel which I own.

I did not use the channel to market my party and I hoped that the Tunisian media outlets would be fair and give equal opportunity to everyone. However, the opposite happened as reflected in the elections’ results, which established the severe bipolar principle.

But you withdrew from the presidential race and then you abandoned this withdrawal!

 The decision to run was dictated by several conditions, most important is my belief that withdrawal does not only mean surrender but it also brings disappointment to the supporters of the Current of Love at a time when they need steadfastness and continued hope of changing the overall situation in Tunisia. There was no solution today other than returning back Tunisia, being keen to get close to the people, listen to their concerns and get engaged with them. Thank God, in all my visits to the different provinces of the country, I felt that there was strong support, which promises a great victory in the presidential election.

Some analysts say that the loss of the Current of Love in the legislative elections is due to the weakness of its programme which only relied on the same populist rhetoric and because you are the only champion for the weak people?

 I never raised this slogan to serve my own personal interests or those of my party.  Anyone who observes the work of the constituent assembly will notice that the MPs of the Popular Petition, the former name of the Current of Love, were the most desperate MPs in defending the rights of the weak, vulnerable and poor people.  This is not a mere party propaganda; it is a fixed rule in the party’s programme. I want to stress that any party or president, who does not support the weak persons of the society, the deprived and marginalized people, will have no future and there is no hope in him.

I’ve been hearing a lot the term “populist rhetoric.” When did addressing the people, especially the weak people, become undesirable? Yes, it is true that my discourse is directed towards the toilers’ classes and the deprived people who are suffering from impoverishment and ignorance. I make difficult information easy for these people to understand. My programme in the Current of Love is to empower these people to achieve their right of dignified life without marginalization and without being neglected.  

In your discourse you addressed the Ennahda Movement supporters and urged them to vote for you in the elections.  Why did you beg for the votes of Ennahda while you always claim in your statements that Current of Love has a big popular base which will enable you to win? 

The reason is clear and simple. It is because of the fact that Hechmi Hamdi is the closest to thought and perceptions of the Ennahda Movement. My program is based on making Tunisia again an Islamic beacon as it was before, based on the Sharia in its approaches and to restore the status of Islam.  This is why I didn’t want the votes of the Ennahda supporters to go to any other candidate who believes in ideas different than the Islamic principles.

Now that you have mentioned the Islamic Shariah, I recall that you previously said you wanted to work on the amendment of the constitution, especially its first chapter. Why is this insistence on reviewing a chapter that cannot be discussed or changed within five years?

Everyone knows that the deputies the Popular Petition (the former name of his party), refused to participate in the drafting of this chapter because they believe it does not respond to the aspirations of the people and does not comply with our principles.  It is thus our duty to include in chapter one that the Islamic Sharia, the religion of all Tunisians, should be the first source for legislation. I hope that all Tunisians will understand why the members of Current of Love party did not participate at all in the drafting of this chapter, and who knows; a day will come when I am able to review this chapter through the holding of a referendum.

Some say that you are more loyal to Great Britain than to Tunisia, especially because you refused to abandon your British citizenship. How would you respond to these accusations?

These are mere allegations. In Tunisia I have my roots and my origin. It is my country, which I cherish. However, I cannot deny the Britain’s act of kindness when it sheltered me after being forcibly deported from my country. It gave me a homeland when I was expelled out of my country.  The new constitution allows me to nominate myself for the presidency, so why should I abandon my British citizenship?