Marzouki: "Tunisia is not immersed in Islam"

Referring to his accusation at the CPR conference that Ennhada was taking over the administration and trying to follow the represeion of Ben Ali he said he preferred to speak of Ennhada attempting to exert control. of state administraion by appointing party officials. He said his statement was more of a warning and it was a minority of Ennhada who were trying to act like the previous regime. He said that he would propose that senior civil servants would be appointed by a commission by the members of the troika.he said that partisan appointments bothered him greatly.

He afirms that the Troika is working and whist its decisions are criticised  the problems it has avoided have been ignored. He emphasised the the coalition is a diverse body withdifferent views and patience was needed.The vision of a  tolerant pluralistic society,  where the women are the equal of men, a society open to the world while being attached to its roots is not challenged by Ennahda, but its extreme right salafist faction which he says is a minority in the country. He admits that teeh recent attack on a Fench elected official of Tunisian origin was indeed
reprehensible but thousands of tourists visit Tunisia unharmed he pointed out.The salafists actions were "insignificant" in their ability to change society. The effect of their actions however was very bad for Tunisia's immage internationally.

He sees his role as calming the situation down as Tunisia seeks to build an entirly new society and that Tunisia will not succumb to islamic fundamentalism.He observed that the draft consitution referring to women as "complimentary "to men was a blunder and slaafist attacks were further "slippage" but after 50 years of heavily
authoritarian repression Tunisa would have to change gradually to achieve tolerance of opposing views. The proposed blasphemy law was absurd and exisiting legislation already covered the issue. He maintained, as he has previously,  that the salafists and leftists are a minority which cannot affect the outcome of the revolution. His failure to condemn that violence of the salafists is puzzling.

He did not, however, confront the law and order issue that the salafist rampages are not controlled by  the police or subject to legal control. He concluded that islam contained a wide spectrum of views and it was compatible with democracy. His mission, he affirmed , continued to be to secure democratic values and that is why he continues to cooperate with Ennhada knowing that the salafist fringe is beyond redemption. Ennhada did not control the whole electorate and if the draft consitution is not passed by parloiament the people will decide by a referendum.There would be a consensus and compromise, he concluded.