Tunis — National Constituent Assembly (NCA) Speaker Mustapha Ben Jaafar asserted Tunisia's urgent need to define a consensual calendar between the various political and social players to finish off the democratic transition and set the dates of the next elections.

During his meeting with World Bank (WB) President Jim Yong Kim Thursday in Tunis, Mr. Ben Jaafar pointed out the economic and social stakes facing Tunisia, requiring an important national effort and support from its friends, the World Bank in the first place, by encouraging investors to set up in Tunisia, and a continuous international financial back-up.

The NCA Speaker said that Tunisia needs deep structural reforms in all sectors, specifying that these reforms could only be undertaken after going through the transitional phase and achieving stability, to help devise an economic and social programme based on equity, confidence in investment and good governance.

For his part, Mr. Jim Yong Kim pointed out that the international community agreed on the inevitable success of the Tunisian experience in matters of democratic transition, inspite of the social-economic difficulties.

He reiterated WB's will to offer financial and technical support to guarantee the success of Tunisia's democratic experience.