Ayadi elected head of Ennahda Shura Council

Tunisia's Ennahhda movement, which heads the country's ruling coalition, has elected Fathi Al-Ayadi as new head of the Shura Council with 89 votes out of a total of 150. Al-Ayadi, a member of the National Constituent Assembly, and head of the movement’s founding committee, rose as a surprise pick at the Islamist party's ninth conference held in July. The official beat acclaimed political leaders such as Sheikh Abdel Fattah Mourou, who won 52 votes, and  Al-Sadiq Shouro and Ahmed Al-Abiad, key figures of the extreme right wing, who got eight votes. Commentators said this signaled a very small influence of the hardliner faction inside the ruling Islamist movement in Tunis. Following his election, the new head of the Shura Council promised “to serve the country and achieve the goals of the revolution at this stage”, stating that “the responsibility is huge”, and that his election doesn’t mean that he is "better than his competitors”. Al-Ayadi, a leading Ennahda figure, was forced by security forces in the former regime to immigrate to Germany. He remained there until former president Zine El Abidine Ali was ousted during the culmination off the Tunisian uprising in January 2011. He had formerly won the constituent assembly elections in Germany.  The Shura Council, which comprises 150 members, is responsible for determining the policies of the movement and its programmes. It is also in charge of nominating the executive office expected to be recommended and monitored by the head of the movement.