Hechmi Hamdi could be next president

A leading official in the Tunisian political party Aridha Chaabia has spoken out against the controversy the party has faced in recent weeks, denying claims of corruption against its leader Hechmi Hamdi. Aridha Chaabia, also known as the People’s Petition for Freedom, Justice and Development Party was created by UK-based political writer and media figure, Mohamed Hechmi Hamdi in 2011. Since its inception, the party has campaigned for three main ideas; the formation of democratic constitution, the adoption of a system of free healthcare, and grants for the unemployed. Despite the party’s burgeoning popularity, Aridha Chaabia chief Hamdi, who lives in London, has come under fire in recent weeks, with critics accusing him of trying to avoid corruption charges involving the Tunisian Agency for Exterior Communication (ATCE). In an exclusive interview with Arabstoday, the chairman of Aridha Chaabia, Mohammed el-Hamdi disputes the claims saying Hamdi is refusing to come back "in protest against being excluded by the ruling troika coalition." The formation of the country’s government after the October 2011 elections, excluded Aridha Chaabi despite the party coming second in the popular vote and third in seats. Instead the coalition is still made up of three parties - the ruling Ennahda Movement, Ettakatol, and the Congress for the Republic (CPR), El-Hamdi, a member of Tunisia’s National Constituent Assembly, believes the party was deliberately excluded because opponents fear the popularity of leader Hechmi Hamdi. "The troika fears Hechmi Hamdi because he's a fierce opponent and capable of stealing the public's hearts.When he speaks to the public, everyone trusts him. The best example to illustrate this is that he was a surprising contender forerunner in the 2011 elections. He came in second despite the fact that none of the polls put him among the top ten." Speaking about accusations of corruption against Hamdi, el-Hamdi said: "If Hechmi Hamdi were implicated in corruption issues, the head of the National Fact-Finding Committee on Corruption and Embezzlement, the late Abdelfattah Omar, would've made the information public. But he didn't find anything."  He also accused the ATCE, the state's advertisement authority, of favouring al-Jazeera and other channels while "using double standards" against Aridha Chaabia's channel, al-Mostakella. However, el-Hamadi’s claims are disputed by the National Fact-Finding Committee, which says it found and published a message from Hechmi Hamdi dated December 2009 in the aftermath President Zine el-Abidine ben Ali’s disposal, which appeared to propose the use of al-Mostakella for propaganda purposes on behalf of the regime. El-Hamdi vehemently denies this. "The message was misinterpreted. The Aridha Chaabia leader Hamdi Hechmi sent a message to the former president inviting him to a meeting with opposition parties in London to discuss the country's situation, attended by the media and the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT – Tunisia's top labour organisation). But some people have falsely exploited this message, claiming it to be a form of fraternisation with the regime and buttering up the ousted president," he said. Meanwhile, El-Hamdi also disclosed that Aridha Chaabia has suspended its political activities in Tunisia after a number of the party’s MPs defected to rival movements once they were elected into parliament. "The party's chairman, Hechmi Hamdi, led the way by freezing his political activities because a large group of representatives had broken away and joined other parliamentary blocs and parties. “He felt this behaviour was a betrayal because these representatives reached parliament thanks to the Aridha party and they have show no gratitude despite having signed a statement of integrity which also promised their votes for Hechmi Hamdi for President of the Republic. “In addition, contrary to the party guideline, many of these MPs voted to approve [the now-confirmed] Prime Minister Ali Lareyedh's government, which has angered Hechmi Hamdi," he said. The party is now demanding that Tunisian courts revoke the seats of several former Aridha members in the NCA, who have defected to opposition parties. "We demand that their membership in the NCA is revoked and their seats awarded to the next person on the electoral list on which they were candidates. This is the system used in many Arab and Western countries, including Egypt," said el-Hamdi. El-Hamdi also accused some "powerful parties" of "buying Aridha Chaabia MPs with money." Referring the appointment of Laarayedh's new government, he said his fellow Aridha Chaabia MPs had voted against the government "because it won't do any good at this juncture and we insist on a mini-cabinet of caretaker technocrats to see the country through to the next elections." El-Hamdi said that Aridha has rejected a new parliamentary system proposed by the ruling Ennahda Movement, calling it a bid by the party to retain power. "The parliamentary system In Tunisia has proven to be a failure within 18 months, having thrown the country into chaos. "Tunisia is new to democracy and parliamentary systems are suited only to well-established democracies. "Ennahda's rule has failed like most Islamist regimes in the Arab region, such as Libya and Egypt,” he said. The official was keen to criticise Qatar for what he called “meddling in Tunisia’s internal affairs.” "Qatar leads the Arab world's tragedies. It's America's primary front for the destruction of Arab regimes," he said. “Their meddling aims to drown the country in debt and dependence by imposing large interest rate between 1-2 percent on any loans, while similar credit from Japan and the US carry very low interest rates,” added el-Hamdi. Speaking about the party’s chances in Tunisia’s upcoming elections, el-Hamdi concluded: “If we're given one tenth of what all the other parties have been given, we will win the legislative and presidential elections and Hechmi Hamdi (founder and leader of Aridha Chaabia) will be Tunisia's next president."