Day: May 8, 2023

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Mbakera retains leadership positions at Otjozondjupa Regional Council

Otjiwarongo Constituency councillor, Marlayn Mbakera was on Monday morning re-elected and sworn into her position of chairperson of the management committee of the Otjozondjupa Regional Council.

Mbakera was also re-elected to continue serving as the chairperson of the regional council for the next two and a half years.

The management committee of the regional council deals largely with the planning and budgeting of the development activities of the region's seven constituencies of Omatako, Okahandja, Otjiwarongo, Otavi, Grootfontein, Okakarara and Tsumkwe.

Other regional constituency councillors who retained their positions and were sworn in to serve as members of the management committee are Johannes Hausiku of Tsumkwe and Israel Hukura of Omatako.

Elder Filipe of Grootfontein, George Garab of Otavi and Betheul Tjaveondja of Okahandja will continue to represent the region at the National Council where they are serving as members of parliament.

Ramana Mutjavikua of Okakarara remains an ordinary member of the region's council.

Otjiwarongo Magistrate, Peingondjabi Shipo who presided over the internal election process here as well as at their swearing-in ceremony said: “ It is required by the Namibian Constitution for the politicians at the regional councils in the country to hold their internal elections after serving the regional council for two years and a half in their positions.”

These seven constituency councillors here joined the Otjozondjupa Regional Council on 02 December 2020 and are now expected to serve until December 2025.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

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Five parliamentary groups created

Five parliamentary groups were formed, Deputy Speaker Anouar Marzouki said. May 10 is the deadline for submitting statements.

Marzouki (constituency of Nabeul) said he will be part of the "independent national bloc" along with 26 other MPs.

The issue of the chairmanship of the parliamentary group was not settled yet. MPs Imed Ouled Jebril (constituency of Boumerdès-Essouassi) and Yassine Mami (constituency of Hammamet) are running for the post, he added.

Marzouki said his parliamentary group brings together MPs from different regions with shared allegiance to the homeland, far from any other partisan or ideological affiliation.

Marzouki said developing "pragmatic" legislation to resolve current crises a top priority for the bloc.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

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Two complaints filed against Ministers following case of conspiracy against state security

The defence lawyers of defendants in the case of "conspiracy against state security," on Monday, filed two complaints with the Public Prosecutor's Office on behalf of their clients, announced lawyer Abdelaziz Essid.

The first complaint is against the Interior Minister, concerning the use of the mobile phone of member of the opposition National Salvation Front Chaima Issa, which was seized by the police since her arrest.

Internet users claim to have received friend requests from the accused's page, Essid added at a press conference at the "Lawyers' House" in Tunis.

The second complaint is against the Justice Minister for "forging the minutes of the initial investigation in this case."

The committee found «forged writings and changes in dates» when reviewing the case file, the lawyer noted.

He added that terms had also been crossed out and replaced, questioning the terrorist nature of the case; «it was a matter of announced political meetings and activities.»

«The witness has not been heard to date despite the seriousness of the facts attributed to the accused,» he indicated, adding that the identity of this witness is systematically denied to the defence lawyers.

In turn, Lawyer Ayachi Hammami mentioned the widening of accusations in this case. Indeed, the investigating judge decided to entrust 23 rogatory commissions to investigate political activists and citizens.

He also decided to launch an investigation against four lawyers: Néjib Chebbi, Bochra Belhaj Hamida, Ayachi Hammami and Noureddine Bhiri.

«It is possible that we will be summoned to appear today before the investigating judge to be heard in this case,» he pointed out.

Over 20 lawyers are being prosecuted today for acts that fall within the scope of their work and that are labelled as political crimes, Hammami said.

«Some of them are being prosecuted for having defended Ennahdha leader Noureddine Bhiri.»

Moreover, lawyer Karim Marzouki said putting off the visit of the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers scheduled for May 26 "is a first in post-revolution Tunisia.»

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

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Tunisian travel agencies to join IATA’s NewGen ISS as of June 1, 2023

Accredited travel agencies in Tunisia will officially join the NewGeneration of IATA Settlement Systems (NewGen ISS), which is imposed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), starting from June 1, 2023, President of the Tunisian Federation of Travel Agencies and Tourism (FTAV) Ahmed Tayeb said on Monday in Tunis.

Tunisia and Morocco are the only two countries which have not yet joined this accreditation model, Tayeb added in a statement to TAP in the margins of a workshop organised by the FTAV in cooperation with IATA, Tunisair and the National Tourism Office, pointing out that the NewGen ISS is a new special system of air ticket sales adopted on a worldwide scale.

"This system includes strict rules for the sale of airline tickets, reservations and the handling of cancellations and postponements, as well as fines for delays," he explained, adding that it (the system) provides, among other things, for the payment of travel agency invoices (by airlines) every fortnight, instead of 45 days.

He considered that it is essential to have a command of this system in order to avoid the risk of error which will cost a lot to the travel agency.

The FTAV intends to organise three training and awareness sessions for the benefit of travel agencies in three major regions of the country.

Tayeb further underlined that the Federation and its partners had decided to embark on a trial period before the official adoption of this system, as from next June.

He also announced that the FTAV will broadcast a YouTube video in order to explain the principles of this system to all travel agency owners.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

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Ten Tunisian undocumented migrants rescued after boat sank off Béni Khiar

Coast guards foiled an attempted crossing on Sunday night off Bni Khiar, Nabeul, and rescued ten Tunisian undocumented migrants after their boat sank, the spokesperson for the National Guard said on Monday.

National guards also seized a boat after a raid on four houses in Sfax, in addition to a sum of money. Twenty-five people, including an Arab national and a smuggler, were also arrested in Sakiet Eddaïer in a second operation as they were preparing for a number of crossings.

A further five boarding a taxi, four of whom sub-Saharan Africans, were apprended in El Amra, Sfax. They were heading to the region's coasts to participate in a migration attempt.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse