Despite his old age (about 90 years), the Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi is still clinging on to the life of his country, which is witnessing its worst economic and security crises ever, accompanied by waves of terrorism. Meanwhile, the media remains silent about Essebsi’s health and no viable information is available about his condition. Essebsi’s term ends in 2019 unless any legal emergency or a sudden mishap calls for his replacement.

Despite his old age (about 90 years), the Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi is still clinging on to the life of his country, which is witnessing its worst economic and security crises ever, accompanied by waves of terrorism. Meanwhile, the media remains silent about Essebsi’s health and no viable information is available about his condition. Essebsi’s term ends in 2019 unless any legal emergency or a sudden mishap calls for his replacement.

Prior to the presidential elections in 2014, Essebsi was able to rally numerous supporters around him to come into office although some questioned his physical abilities and health.

Among those skeptics was journalist Sahabo Omar, one of Essebsi’s supporters before his controversial opposition to Essebsi’s candidacy at such an old age.  Sahabo expressed his opposition on television after sending a letter to 40 members of Nidaa Tounes party.

 “I simply expressed my opinion and put my mind at rest since I believed that Essebsi could not assume the presidential responsibilities at such critical stage in the country,” Sahabo said. “Instead of focusing their attention on the current president’s health condition, journalists and media professionals portrayed the situation as a political and personal rivalry between me and Essebsi,” Sahao claimed.

Sahabo believes that the Tunisians’ feeling of enchantment toward President Essebsi’s speeches and his witty and spontaneous attitudes does not reflect the facts about Essebsi’s health.

“Some wrongly believe that the president’s appearance in pre-recorded speeches as an outspoken leader who answers questions and cites verses from the Koran is evidence of a sound memory.”  Sabho says such appearances are merely communications tricks but not proof of a strong president “able to secure a prosperous future.”

This same argument is also shared by a number of other opposition groups especially among the supporters of former President Moncef Marzouki and his former Congress for the Republic party loyalists.

Nevertheless, these opponents failed to shake the people’s confidence in the character of Beji Caid Essebsi despite their criticism of his health and advanced age.

A misleading scam?

Adnen Mansser, a leading figure in the ‘Harak Tounis
Al Irada’ (Tunisia of Will) Movement said: “The Tunisian people are exposed to the biggest fallacy by presenting Essebsi as the country’s savior.”

 “While it is a fact that Essebsi today is the head of state, we avoid to be frank about his illness and disability as well as his inability to assume the responsibility of president. Essebsi suffers from old-age ailments and is permanently subjected to medical treatment and care by his personal doctors who accompany him in his travels. Failure to be frank about his health condition is tantamount to a misleading scam.”

Mansser said that the president’s health stands in the way of improving the country’s conditions, which suffer the scourge of terrorism and its impact on the worsening economic and social situation.

Some blamed Essebsi for failing to attract foreign investments given the fears held by prospective investors of the country sliding into a political crisis after Essebsi’s death.

While Essebsi’s supporters praise him for the great efforts he has made visiting European and Gulf countries to attract foreign investment, his opponents believe that his old age causes these investors to be uncertain.

Official spokesperson of the Tunisian Presidency Moiz Sinawi denied Correspondents access to President Beji Caid Essebsi’s personal doctor. Sinawi was adamant to present a bright image of the Tunisian President to the media and portrayed Essebsi as a healthy leader capable of exercising his normal duties and responsibilities.

In the same context, Hashemi Nouria, a journalist who accompanied the president on his visit to the Gulf, said Essebsi does not appear to have any signs of illness or old age and he meets journalists and talks to them in his usual entertaining manner.

Fatima Karai, a journalist who also accompanied Essebsi in some of his foreign visits, said she never noticed “any weakness or fatigue in the President even though he was accompanied by his medical staff.”

However, Correspondents learned through a presidential security source that the President Essebsi might be suffering from renal failure, which requires a dialysis session once a week and that he is sometimes taken to private hospitals in utmost secrecy.

We could not confirm this information, but a geriatric specialist told Correspondents: “Any person as old as Essebsi cannot exert significant effort as humans’ physical abilities diminish as they advance in age,” said geriatric specialist Sadiq Qegi. “Essebsi is not an exceptional person. He once fell to the ground and at another occasion his memory failed him and he confused the French President Francois Hollande with François Mitterrand.”

Huda Amin, a graduate of the Faculty of Medicine in Paris, said, “Essebsi’s age is sensitive and all human organs at such advanced age become weak and vulnerable. I saw Essebsi once at a dinner and noticed that he stuttered while reading a speech and he could not even locate a glass in front of him. This is normal at his age.”

Political communication specialist and professor at the Institute of Journalism Moez Ben Massoud said a communication team managed to cover up the sensitive health file of the Tunisian president. “His communication team has succeeded in blacking out his health file through his frequent travels abroad and reduction of his movements at home as well as his laconic recorded statements,” he said.

In contrast, Saeeda Garrache, an advisor to the Tunisian president, said the President so far enjoys good health and is able to exercise normal activities and presidential jurisdictions satisfactorily.

She mentioned that in 2011, US President Barack Obama, amazed by the Tunisian President’s witty and astute opinions, enquired about the secret of his health.

It is worth noting that chapters 83, 84, 85 and 86 of Tunisia’s Constitution, in the event of Essebsi’s absence, would hand over power to the prime minister for a period of up to two months.  Any time exceeding that period would be handed over to the President of the Assembly of the People’s Representatives who would take on presidtential duties for up to 90 days. Any time beyond this would require the election of a new president.