Al-Watan Party (Tunisia) Al-Watan Party (Tunisia) The Homeland Party (, "Ḥizb el-Waṭan"; ) or El-Watan Party is a centrist party in Tunisia, that was launched on 19 February 2011 and officially licensed on 9 March 2011. It was founded by Mohamed Jegham, former minister of trade and tourism, Ahmed Friaa, former minister of the interior in the Government of Mohamed Ghannouchi, and ten other leaders. Both Jegham and Friaa come from the ranks of the old dominant party Constitutional Democratic Rally, sustaining the Zine El Abidine Ben Ali regime. On 13 June 2011, Friaa announced his resignation from the party to clear the
Mohamed Ben Salem Mohamed Ben Salem Mohamed Ben Salem, born on 19 february 1953, is a Tunisian politician. He served from December 2011 to January 2014 as Minister of Agriculture under the Prime Ministers Hamadi Jebali and Ali Laarayedh. He is a member of the Ennahda Movement. In 1987, he was jailed for nine months, and two and a half months between the years 1990 and 1991. He lived in exile in France from 1991 to 2011. During that time, he was involved with the Paris-based Tunisian Solidarity Association. On 20 December 2011, after former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was deposed,