In the following interview with Mohsen Marzouk, new Secretary General of Nidaa Tunis Movement and head of the coalition government, he admitted that the popularity of his party has dwindled and that the coalition government is not strong enough.

Protests against the coalition, which Marzouk believes have been organized by members of the former troika coalition, are likely to bring down the government.

In the following interview with Mohsen Marzouk, new Secretary General of Nidaa Tunis Movement and head of the coalition government, he admitted that the popularity of his party has dwindled and that the coalition government is not strong enough.

Protests against the coalition, which Marzouk believes have been organized by members of the former troika coalition, are likely to bring down the government.

Mohsen Marzouk, after you came first in the last elections, major disputes arose within your party, which almost led to its breakdown. Is this crisis over?

I believe most of these disputes have become something of the past since electing a new political office, which includes members of the constituent assembly, the parliamentary bloc and the executive office. We are also in the process of holding an election conference within a few months to completely settle these disagreements.

Despite your brief time in power, do you not think that your popularity started to erode especially after your internal crisis and not meeting your election promises?

I agree with you that the party’s popularity has been affected by its internal conflicts. As for the election promises, I believe the party has met a great deal of them including winning the presidential elections and on the government level, progress has been achieved in many sectors based on the current circumstances.

In light of this popularity erosion, do you think that you will win in the upcoming municipal (local) elections?

Yes, we have high chances of winning these elections and I think we will come first.

After forming the coalition government, it was a little bit shaken and opposition appeared within the ruling troika through the attitudes of your partner ‘Afaq Tunis’ Party. Will that make you review your alliances?

I do not think so. There is a lack of coordination between the ruling coalition parties, but the coalition should further cooperate and coordinate their attitudes so that things progress positively.

Tunisia witnessed major protests in the southern areas, but Nidaa Tunis Movement only issued statements and was not there on the ground. Why?

Yes, the internal crisis which the party underwent has directly impacted its performance, but our party has a strong presence in the country, though with different degrees.

We are in the process of revitalizing the movement so that it can play its needed national role in partnership with the government’s other parties, to form a strong internal front to begin reforms – this is our main goal in achieving economic progress as well as fighting terrorism.

A campaign was recently launched that revealed Tunisia’s oil reserves and it was accompanied by accusations that it is politicized by parties that aim to confuse the government. What is your comment on this?

There are two aspects regarding this topic: the first is related to the protests of the youth who demand transparency in the energy sector and other entities and we support, encourage and thank them for their alertness.

The other aspect is related to the groups who believe that the country is rich in oil and that the government is trying to hide it from the people, despite the fact that some of these groups have ruled the country for three years and I do not think that they have found any oil.

As a party leading the coalition government, you are asked by another campaign to expose corruption. How do you respond to such demands?

The campaign to expose the corruption files is very important, but we should expose all the files positively. Some members of the former ruling troika took part in this campaign. I am not generalizing but, for example, Ennahda Movement did not participate in this campaign while the Conference Party is demanding an investigation about the issue. Shall we open their files first?

We, in Nidaa Tunis, have no objection to opening these files as we came to power only a few months ago. However, if the Conference Party’s leaders want us to open such files, let us start by opening their ministries’ files as soon as possible, since they were in power.

The government has a difficult mission ahead of it under the current circumstances with protests and strikes. Where should the government begin handling this terrible situation?

This difficult situation was expected even before the elections, given the aggravated problems and putting off most of the issues to the current government.

I believe we should start by performing the urgent reforms on the economic, administrative and legal levels. When this is accomplished, a major part of these problems will automatically be solved.

What is your evaluation of the performance of your partner Ennahda Movement, especially since it is accused with putting one foot in power and the other in the opposition?

I believe that the movement’s attitude is very clear towards the country’s protests and it cannot be blamed if part of its supporters takes part in some protests. I am aware of Rashed Ghannouchi’s position against the campaign to reveal oil reserves, which he described as biased and I know he moved through the southern areas to alleviate the situation.

A partisan document, which is said to be from the Leftist People Front, has been leaked recently about toppling the government. What is your position?

I heard the clarifications provided by the front’s official spokesperson Hamma Hammami and I found them convincing. What happened in the front’s meeting which is composed of many parties was a mere internal discussion. It is quite natural that some parties are dissatisfied with the government’s performance and talk about the need to replace it. Any party in Tunisia has the right to call on toppling the government peacefully.

The country is in the midst of a terrible economic situation. Are you considering holding an international economic conference similar to the one in Egypt, to mobilize resources and attract investors?

This conference is on the government’s agenda. However, it should guarantee all success requirements to achieve its goals.

Although you were appointed as the Secretary General of Nidaa Tunis Movement, you are still the political consultant of the Tunisian president. When will you resign and who will replace you?

I will officially leave the presidential palace within this month. I do not have any idea about the nominated names for the position because it is up to President Beji Caid Sebsi to decide.