Tunis — National Constituent Assembly (NCA) Speaker Mustapha Ben Jaafar said he had felt in Interim Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali and Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) Secretary-General Houssine Abassi "a strong will to reach an adequate solution to the difficult situation the country is living through."

In a message to the nation broadcast on Tuesday evening during National Channel 1 newscast, Ben Jaafar spoke of his attempted mediation between both sides "to secure the success of negotiations" in order to cancel the general strike set for December 13, affirming that "the last word goes to UGTT."

" I hope that the final decision will be in the interest of Tunisia," he declared, stressing the need to hold a dialogue to define a schedule and a plan of action to complete the drafting of the constitution and set the date of the next elections.

He also said that the doors of the NCA will remain open to all partners to carry on the dialogue started by the labour union involving the parliamentary groups and parties represented at the Assembly.

Ben Jaafar reckoned that it is possible to hold the next elections in June 2013 as agreed between the three presidents, pointing out however that this date is not a sacred one and the most important thing is to reach a consensus in this regard.