Tunis — Secretary-General of the Ennahdha Movement Hamadi Jebali has turned down an offer to form a new government, the party announced in a statement released Thursday.

After consultations with Jebali and the proposal made to him by Ennahdha to be its candidate for Prime Minister in the next coalition government, the movement said Hamadi Jebali had regretted he could not accept this candidacy, the statement added.

Consultations within Ennahdha and its partners are under way to propose the party's candidate to the President of the Republic before the end of this week, the same source says.

The Ennahdha movement, which applauded Hamadi Jebali and his cabinet members for their efforts made to serve the country, calls on all citizens to contribute to supporting the government in place to discharge its mission until the formation of a new government.