Moncef Marzouki Apologizes to People in Kasserine

Samia Fitouri | 24 November 2011 | tunisia-live.net

The new Tunisian president, Moncef Marzouki, apologized yesterday, November 23^rd, on National TV to the people in Kasserine for the incomplete list of martyrs that was recited on Thursday 22^nd at the first meeting of the constituent assembly. The deputy who brought the list to the table, Noomane Fehri, is one of Afek Tunis’ founders. Fehri expressed his deep regret to TunisiaLive and asked for a regional contact number to publically communicate his apologies.

Fehri described how he managed to obtain the list stating, “I attended the press conference held by ISIE last Sunday to pay homage to the revolution’s martyrs and I happened to meet with some of the martyrs’ families. I deeply sympathized with their state of sorrow and that inspired me to ask ISIE for a list of names to be recited at the opening meeting of the constituent assembly. My good will prompted me to take such an initiative, but I had never expected that a slight organizational mistake would trigger this large outrage”.

Fehri expressed his deep regret to what happened in Kasserine and asserted that he will certainly join the committee in charge of the martyrs’ case. With that, he promised to play an important role in the committee and to make sure that those families’ rights are protected.

President Marzouki assured that he feels a deep compassion for the massive protesters in Kasserine stating, “I thoroughly understand their anger because I am fully aware of the long struggle that Kasserine region endeavored during the early days of the revolution.” On January 18th Marzouki paid a visit to Zouhour City, a neighborhood in Kasserine that scored the highest rate of injured and martyrs in the whole region. “I could feel myself the struggle that those people endured at that time and I congratulated them for their bravery,” Marzouki said.

Marzouki expressed his relief towards the protests that broke out in Kasserine yesterday and considered the event as a positive sign proving that the martyrs‘ cases are still important of the Tunisian people. He expressed this sentiment saying, “I am so proud of our citizens who have displayed a great sense of patriotism during the election day and who are still willing to stand up for their rights when needed.”.

Marzouki addressed people in Kasserine asking them to restore order in the region stating he understands that all these families will get material and moral compensations, and that a committee has been appointed to be in charge of these families case by case. He explained that the list that was recited at the meeting of the constituent assembly was intended to pay a tribute to all our martyrs and it will promptly be  completed with the missing names.