Political competition between President Essebsi and PM Chahed continued. Executive bureau of Essebsi’s Nida Tounes party, led by Essebsi’s son, 14 Sept froze Chahed’s party membership. Essebsi, in meeting with An-Nahda party president 3 Sept, reportedly failed to secure support for possible parliamentary no-confidence vote against Chahed. Informal alliance between An-Nahda bloc (68 MPs) and new pro-Chahed bloc Alliance Nationale (43 MPs, mostly dissident Nida Tounes members) now holds parliamentary majority. Essebsi 24 Sept announced in TV interview end of his alliance with An-Nahda. Unions 19 Sept agreed to 6.5% private sector salary increase; public sector workers union (UGTT) is demanding 10% increase to public sector wages, in spite of International Monetary Fund (IMF) recommendations to freeze public payroll. UGTT 20 Sept called for nationwide public sector strikes 24 Oct and 22 Nov against govt plans to privatise companies and stalled pay negotiations.

President Essebsi 13 Aug said he would propose bill introducing equality between men and women in inheritance, one of over 90 recommendations for reforms made by presidentially-appointed commission on individual freedoms and equality (COLIBE) in June. In capital Tunis, around 5,000 people protested against reform package proposed by COLIBE 11 Aug and thousands demonstrated in support of it 13 Aug. Repeated water cuts prompted several demonstrations throughout country early Aug. Police clashed with locals calling for reopening of Ras Jedir border crossing with Libya, closed to goods in July, 28-29 Aug in Ben Guerdane in south, district security chief injured. Interior ministry of Libya’s Govt of National Accord 1 Sept said it had reopened Ras Jedir border crossing.

President Essebsi 15 July asked PM Chahed, if he does not manage to win significant support for his govt, to resign or seek confidence vote in parliament. Following meeting between two major parties in ruling coalition, Islamist party An-Nahda and Chahed’s Nida Tounes, An-Nahda 16 July called on Chahed not to run in 2019 presidential election. Minister in charge of constitutional affairs Mehdi Ben Gharbia 14 July resigned, said opposition was non-constructive and hampering legislative reform. Chahed 24 July appointed Hichem Fourati as new interior minister following dismissal of Lotfi Brahem early June. Suspected jihadist militants 8 July ambushed National Guard patrol in Ain Sultan area near Algerian border in north west, killing at least six members of security forces.

Ahead of 2019 presidential election, feud between PM Youssef Chahed and President Essebsi – both members of Nida Tounes party – intensified, polarising political class and potentially hampering legislative reform. Chahed 6 June moved to dismiss Essebsi’s allies in govt, including Interior Minister Lotfi Brahem, and appointed around 200 new senior officials in Interior Ministry; French journalist and TV channel Al Jazeera mid-June reported that Brahem had been planning coup with help of United Arab Emirates. Boat carrying about 180 migrants sank off coast of Sfax province 3 June, killing up to 112 people; Interior Ministry 6 June said in response it had fired ten national guard officials.

In municipal elections for 350 local councils 6 May, independent candidates came first with 32.9% of vote, Islamist party An-Nahda second with 28.6%, and Nida Tounes – which came first in 2014 parliamentary vote – came third with 20.8%. Turnout was low at 33.7%. Poor performance of Nida Tounes worsened internal dispute between party head Hafedh Caïd Essebsi (son of President Beji Caïd Essebsi) and PM Youssef Chahed. Chahed defended his record amid pressure for ruling coalition to dismiss him and 29 May said Hafedh Caïd Essebsi was responsible for “destruction of Nida Tounes”, while An-Nahda refused to back calls for his dismissal.

Security forces 11 April clashed with jihadist group linked to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in Mghilla near Algerian border in west, one soldier killed. Campaign for 6 May local elections started 17 April; police and soldiers 29 April voted ahead of poll, first time security forces allowed to vote.

Police tracked down two suspected Islamic State (ISIS) militants in Ben Guerdane region in south near Libyan border 19 March, shot one dead, other blew himself up. Security forces 31 March killed leader of ISIS-affiliated group Jund al-Khilafa (Soldiers of the Caliphate), Chawki Fakraoui, in Kasserine province in centre west. Signatories of 2016 Carthage Agreement – including Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) and main political parties in governing coalition Nida Tounes and An-Nahda – 13 March agreed to create commission to draft new economic and social roadmap. President Essebsi 20 March called for reform of election law before 2019 parliamentary and presidential elections. MPs 28 March voted not to extend for another year mandate of Truth and Dignity Commission responsible for transitional justice process; vote challenged on numerous procedural grounds, including that it did not meet quorum as less than one third of MPs voted.

European parliament 7 Feb voted to keep country on money laundering and terrorism financing blacklist.

Govt’s 1 Jan implementation of new state budget, increasing cost of living, triggered three nights of rioting across country 8-11 Jan; young man died in clashes with police in Tebourba in north 8 Jan, over 800 people arrested. Special Forces in Sammama region in centre west 21 Jan killed Bilel Kobi, aide to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) leader Abu Musab Abdul Wadud, on mission to reorganise AQIM’s Tunisian branch.

Army clashed with al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb jihadists close to Algerian border 11 Dec, one soldier killed. Small protests held in several places including Le Kram, Tunis province and Meknassi, Sidi Bouzid province 13 Dec, protestors clashed with police. 250 activists and intellectuals 17 Dec (seventh anniversary of start of revolution) called for critical stance toward ruling coalition and for local elections to be held in first trimester of 2018. European ministries of finance 5 Dec released list of seventeen tax haven countries, including Tunisia; negotiations to remove country from list ongoing. Election commission 16 Dec said local elections would be held 6 May 2018.