Tunisia: Speaker Urges Action To End Political Impasse

Tunisia's parliament speaker on Saturday called on the country's president to lead efforts to end the ongoing political crisis.

Rached Ghannouchi sent a letter to President Kais Saied, urging him to call a meeting between the two and Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi to discuss ways to end the deadlock over the recent Cabinet reshuffle.

Political tensions remain high in Tunisia as President Saied refuses to move ahead with the swearing in of new ministers appointed by Mechichi, despite the reshuffle having been approved by parliament in the last week of January.

"Ghannouchi's initiative is an assessment from him that the country is experiencing certain crises at the social, economic and health levels, and is in need of… calm and [efforts to] enhance national solidarity," said Fathi Ayadi, spokesperson for Ghannouchi's Ennahdha party.

The parliament speaker wants all sides to reach "necessary consensus to end the political impasse which is impeding efforts to solve Tunisia's other social and economic crises," he added.

*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara -