Saturday, December 29, 2012

Marzouki's humiliation

From Khelil:  "So Marzouki got the humiliation he earned for his partnership with al Nahda. The Tunisian constituent assembly yesterday voted on the 2013 budget, but instead of an omnibus budget it was divided into 29 parts specifying resources and purposes. The sole one to be voted down was an increase of less than 10% for the president's office. Marzouki's MP ally protested that it was politicized and due to Marzouki's recent criticism of al Nahda (that the party is trying to monopolize the state apparatus). al Nahda argued (correctly) that since Marzouki's duties are limited and even likely to decrease next year prior to elections, there is no need for an increase. Even al Nahda is dispensing with the silly idea that Marzouki, who could not keep the Libyan minister in Tunis, has any real power. "