#TUNISIA: Capital City Elects First Female Mayor, Backed By Moderate Muslim Party

[world politics news]

The capital of Tunisia elected its first-ever female mayor this week. Souad Abderrahim, 53, ran as an independent but was backed by the Islamist Ennahda (Rebirth) Party. Abderrahim works for a pharmaceutical firm. Shortly after the country's 2011 Arab Spring movement, Abderrahim was elected to the Constituent Assembly of Tunisia, where she served until 2014. After her victory, she was cautious about the use of the "Islamist" label to describe herself and Ennahda, saying she wanted to work with all parties to improve Tunis.

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#TUNISIA: Ennahda Becomes Largest Pty After Lawmakers Resign

[world politics news]

Tunisia's Islamic Ennahda Party became the biggest party in parliament on Monday after more lawmakers in President Beji Caid Essebsi's party resigned over the role of his son, saying they feared a return of hereditary transfers of power. The rift poses no immediate threat to the coalition government, which includes Ennahda, but comes at a delicate time as the North African state struggles to contain militant violence and revive economic growth.

#TUNISIA: 24 To Stand Trial Over 2013 Assassination Of Oppo. Ldr.

[world politics news]

The trial of 24 people suspected of involvement in the Feb., 2013 murder of opposition leader Chokri Belaid, whose death triggered a political crisis, will open on June 30. Belaid, who was gunned down outside his home, was a staunch critic of the then ruling Ennahda party, often seen as Tunisia's branch of the Muslim Brotherhood.

#USA: Top Global PR Firm Hired to Represent Muslim-Brotherhood-Inspired Islamist Party in Tunisia

[world politics news]

The PR firm Burton-Marsteller has been hired to improve the foreign image of Tunsia's Ennahda Movement, which was inspired by Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood. It will "arrange meetings between Ennahda representatives and stakeholders, and encourage support for free and fair elections in Tunisia" from its London offices, say State Dept. filings.

#TUNISIA: #Ennahda Pty Won't Run Pres. Cand. Because it Doesn't Want to "Extend its Dominance" Over Society

[world politics news]

Tunisia's Ennahda movement won't compete in the upcoming presidential election because it says it's unwilling to extend its dominance over more state institutions. The Islamist party and its rival party, the secular Call for Tunisia, are expected to win the largest number of seats in next month's parliamentary elections.