Wednesday, September 29, 2021, Tunisian President Kais Saied confused his political opponents by assigning a non-political and unknown woman in the political scene to form a new government, more than two months after taking power, dismissing the prime minister and suspending parliament.
Tunisian political circles said that Kais Saied’s move was a surprise to everyone, especially his opponents, who were preparing themselves to research the biography of any person assigned to head the government from the well-known names and to prepare a list of accusations aimed at questioning the President’s choices and the personalities he could use in the next stage.
These circles indicated that the appointment of a university professor and expert at the World Bank, Najla Bouden Romdhane, would gain President Saied a new audience that would support his choices, a female audience that was dominated by great concerns about women’s rights and their gains under previous governments that were dominated by Islamists.
Radhia Jerbi: Good News that Supports the Path of Equality between Women and Men
It was clear from the first reactions to this appointment that the organizations concerned with women’s affairs and independent women’s personalities had expressed their support for this decision and considered it a new gain for Tunisian women who achieved a new Arab leadership by assigning a Tunisian woman to head the government.
Radhia Jerbi, head of the Tunisian Women’s Union, said that the appointment of a woman to the head of the government is good news, and confirms Tunisia’s tendency towards devoting equality between women and men, and reflects giving women the status they actually deserve through their presence in decision-making positions.
Jerbi added that this decision comes in response to the demands of Tunisian women to enable them to reach decision-making positions, and it is the result of the efforts of organizations and women not to exclude women from public affairs and to defend all their rights.
This is the first time – in the history of the country, a pioneer in the field of rights and freedoms – that a woman, Najla Bouden Romdhane, 63, is appointed at the head of the executive branch.
According to Tunisian observers, Kais Saied killed two birds with one stone with this appointment. He provoked the Ennahda movement and its head, Rached Ghannouchi, in light of the inability of previous governments to provide valuable gains for women, and the Islamists’ confusion in dealing with the issue of parity. He also challenged the liberal and leftist party groups that have come to attack him in the past, showing that he is more modern and progressive than them.
Najla Bouden Romdhane was born in the marginalized province of Kairouan in the center of the country, in which Kais Saied is showing special interest through the Aghlabid Medical City project the establishment of which aims to secure health services and bring them closer to the residents of the south and central western states.
Salaheddine Jourchi: Recognition of the Role of Women and their Ability to Manage and Succeed
Observers point out that Kais Saied, by appointing a woman from the interior, succeeded in breaking the equation of appointments in the highest positions of the state (the presidency and the presidency of the government), which Tunisians used to be the preserve of the employees of the capital and the coasts.
The Tunisian presidency said in a statement, “The President of the Republic, Kais Saied, on Wednesday commissioned Mrs. Najla Bouden Romdhane, to form a government, provided that this is done as soon as possible.” Bouden has not previously appeared in the political scene and is not known to have party affiliations or alignment behind certain political orientations.
In a video clip published by the presidency on its Facebook page, Kais Saied emphasized the “historical” dimension of his choice and said, “For the first time in Tunisia’s history, a woman holds the presidency until the end of the exceptional measures, and we will work together to eliminate corruption and chaos that pervaded the state,” and added that “this is an honor for Tunisia and a tribute to women, and this is a historic responsibility, and women are able to lead … like men.”
Bouden will form a government in the “next few hours and days,” according to President Saied. “We will work to resist corruption and then respond to the demands of Tunisian men and women in education, health, transportation and a decent life,” he added.
Najla Bouden Romdhane was Director General in charge of implementing World Bank programs at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and she holds a PhD in geology. Bouden will work in accordance with the changes approved by Kais Saied on the legislative and executive authority, which will be monitored under the supervision of the president.
Political analyst Salaheddine Jourchi says that Bouden’s appointment is “a recognition of the role of women in Tunisia and their ability to manage and succeed.” However he continues, “She has no experience and contributions in sensitive sites… We do not know whether she will be able to confront these huge and complex files.”
Fighting corruption is one of the most important files awaiting Bouden; President Saied has accused deputies in the frozen parliament of passing laws “for money”, and several businessmen and politicians have been placed under house arrest and travel bans as part of an anti-corruption purge.
In early 2021, Kais Saied rejected a cabinet reshuffle made by former Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, due to corruption suspicions surrounding personalities assigned to ministries.
Translation adapted from an article published in Al-Arab Newspaper
