A Tunisian analyst stated that the massive financing of the Ennahdha Movement has raised many questions in recent times
The Tunisian parliament is set to discuss a proposed law related to associations in the coming days, given that there is foreign funding aimed at influencing the political landscape and elections.
Amendment of the Associations Law
The Tunisian parliament announced that several members of parliament will present a proposal in the coming days to amend the Associations Law in the country. This amendment aims to prevent the activities of associations that support terrorism and foreign financing, indirectly referring to the Muslim Brotherhood, who have been accused on several occasions of receiving foreign funding.
Confronting Terrorism Financing
Dr. Mondher Guefrach, a Tunisian political analyst and member of the Path Correction Front in Tunisia, stated that the significant spending by the Ennahdha Islamist movement, whether in election campaigns or meetings to penetrate and influence the streets, has raised questions about the source of these funds.
He further noted that amending the Associations Law is an important matter, especially at a time when the Tunisian authorities are working to cleanse the country from the grip of the Muslim Brotherhood. The new draft law stipulates that associations cannot receive aid, donations, or grants from foreign countries that do not have diplomatic relations with Tunisia. These associations are also required to obtain a license from the Financial Analysis Committee before receiving any foreign funding.
The project also includes a new formula for dissolving associations, known as the automatic dissolution, through a decision issued by the government’s committee responsible for associations. This formula is added to the existing judicial decision to dissolve them. It also prohibits accepting aid, donations, or grants from foreign sources that are not licensed by the Tunisian Financial Analysis Committee, and it requires the association to have an interest in accessing information to enjoy the right to access information.
Number of Associations
According to the latest statistics published by the Center for Information, Training, Studies, and Documentation on Associations, the Tunis governorate hosts 4,938 associations, followed by the Sfax governorate with 1,836 associations, the Nabeul governorate with 1,446 associations, then the Ariana governorate with 1,261, and the Sousse governorate with 1,224, followed by the Medenine governorate with 1,065, the Ben Arous governorate with 1,054 associations, and the Bizerte governorate with 1,014 associations.
President of Tunisia, Kais Saied, previously criticized these associations strongly during a meeting with the government team when he said, “There must be a law preventing associations from receiving foreign funding because they appear to be associations, but they are extensions of foreign forces, and we will not allow this money to come to the associations to tamper with the Tunisian state or engage in election campaigns.”
