TUNISIA: LEADERSHIP CHANGES IN RULING PARTY,

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 000071

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/28/2020
TAGS: PGOV PINR TS
SUBJECT: TUNISIA: LEADERSHIP CHANGES IN RULING PARTY,
INTERNAL SECURITY STRUCTURE

REF: A. TUNIS 36

B. TUNIS 34

C. TUNIS 26

Classified by Ambassador Gordon Gray for reasons 1.4 (b) and
(d).


1. (C) Summary: On January 26, the ruling Democratic
Constitutional Rally (RCD) announced a new line-up for its
politburo, switching out its female member and expanding its
membership from nine to ten to make room for Kamel Morjane,
recently appointed Foreign Minister. Meanwhile, a senior
Interior Ministry official, Adel Touiri, was appointed to the
Ministry's number two slot and three-time governor Mohammed
Lamine Al-Abed was appointed to head the National Guard.
Some Tunisian observers believe that Touiri and Abed are each
allies of the First Lady, and speculate that the appointments
signal a consolidation of her influence over the security
services. End summary.


2. (C) Following Ben Ali's early January cabinet shuffle
(reftels),the GOT announced January 26 two changes to the
ruling Democratic Constitutional Rally's (RCD) Political
Bureau. The politburo was expanded in size to include newly
appointed Foreign Minister Kamel Morjane. Abdelwahab
Abdallah, though removed as Foreign Minister, retained his
seat in the RCD politburo and rejoined the "shadow cabinet,"
presumably in charge of communications and the media, within
the Presidential Palace. Abdellah is seen by civil society
contacts as an ally of the First Lady and an active opponent
of freedom of expression.


2. (SBU) The one woman in the RCD politburo, Alifa Farouk,
the was replaced by another woman, Neziha Zarrouk. Press
reports suggest Alifa Farouk may be appointed as Ambassador
to Germany. Zarrouk is the second Vice President of the
Chamber of Advisors (the upper house in the Tunisian
Parliament) and a member of the RCD Central Committee. She
was Ambassador to Lebanon 2002 - 2004 and Minister of
Vocational Training and Employment in 2001. From 1995-1999
she was Minister of Women and Family Affairs under the Prime
Minister's office. In 1999 the office was upgraded to an
independent Cabinet level Ministry and she continued to hold
the office until 2002.


3. (SBU) The remaining positions in the Political Bureau
remained the same:

-- Mohamed Ghannouchi, Vice President of the RCD (long-term
member);

-- Mohamed Ghariani, Secretary General of the RCD (member
since 2008);

-- Abdallah Kallel, President of the Chamber of Advisors
(long-term member);

-- Fouad M'bazaa, President of the Chamber of Deputies
(long-term member);

-- Abdelaziz Ben Dhia, Minister of State and special Advisor
to the President (long-term member);

-- Ahmed Iyadh Ouederni, Chief of Staff to the President
(member since 2006);

-- Rafik Belhaj Kacem, Minister of Interior and Local
Development (member since 2006).


4. (C) Another significant personnel shuffle, announced on
January 26, took place within the Interior Ministry. Adel
Touiri, the number three in the Ministry, was promoted to
Director General of National Security - the second highest
position in the Ministry and a position once held by Ben Ali
himself when he was an ambitious official in the Bourguiba
era. Touiri is one of Tunisia's most experienced security
officials, having risen through the ranks of the Interior
Ministry to serve most recently as Director-General for
Special Services, and before that as Director of External
Security. He is described by acquaintances as a tireless
worker. Touiri is rumored to be close to Mrs. Ben Ali.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Lamine El Abed, who had been Governor of
Nabeul and previously Governor of Sfax, and Kasserine among
other positions, was appointed head of the National Guard on
January 26. El Abed is also rumored to be close to the First
Lady.


5. (C) Comment: Some observers who engage in (heavily
speculative) analysis of political rivalries within the
presidential palace are interpreting the appointments of
Touiri and Abed as a power play by Mrs. Ben Ali, who is
widely thought to be preparing for "the day after" the

eventual transition from President Ben Ali's reign. On the
other hand, Touiri's long experience may have made him a
natural choice for the job in any case. The appointment of
Kamel Morjane to the RCD politburo, accommodated by expanding
the size of politburo membership, also supports the theory
that his star is rising, and we note that Morjane, who is
related through marriage to the Ben Ali family, is thought to
be squarely outside the First Lady's orbit of influence. As
for Abdullah, though he lost his position as Foreign
Minister, both his preservation of his seat at the RCD table,
and his move back to the presidential palace, demonstrate
that those who were writing his political obituary were doing
so hastily. End comment.

GRAY