Tunisia’s Islamist leader returning from exile

LONDON: Rached Ghannouchi, the leader of Tunisia's Islamist movement Ennahda, boarded a plane Sunday to return home from London after 22 years in exile, his daughter travelling with him told AFP.

"He is boarding the plane now," Soumaya Ghannouchi told AFP by telephone from a departure gate at London Gatwick Airport.

Ghannouchi's British Airways flight to Tunis was due to depart at 0830 GMT and arrive at 1125 GMT.

Ghannouchi checked in at Gatwick accompanied by 30 supporters and journalists to return to Tunisia after 22 years in exile in Britain.

Wearing an open-necked shirt and overcoat, a smiling Ghannouchi posed with the Tunisian flag and embraced relatives.

"I feel very happy today," he said.

"I am still the leader of my party. I want to organise a conference.

"If there are free and fair elections Ennahda will take part -- in the legislative elections, not the presidential elections."

He added: "There is still confusion regarding the political situation.

"The interim government is changing its ministers every day, it's not stable yet and its powers are not clear yet.

"It's not clear who it is accountable to because the current parliament is still the one-party parliament."