Dr Mohamed Kirat
By Dr Mohamed Kirat
Last Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Tunisia were praised and acclaimed by many, including Western nations, for several reasons. A 62 percent voter participation, no incidents, and nobody complained about fraud among losers and winners.
Ennahda Islamist party leader Rached Alghanouchi congratulated the winner, Beji Caid Essebsi, even before the official results were out. Anthony Dworkin of the European Council on Foreign Relations argues, “At a time when hopes of moving towards political reform and accountable governments elsewhere in the Arab world have been dashed, Tunisia is the only country where the aspirations of the Arab uprisings may yet be fulfilled in the near future”.
Tunisia is the only country where the aspirations of the Arab uprisings may be met, and the objectives of those who marched and toppled president Ben Ali may reach the ground.
Tunisia’s transition to democracy has remained broadly on track while Libya and Syria have plunged into civil war and Egypt’s military overthrew the elected post-revolution president. Despite three years of political wrangling, economic turmoil and a rising number of terrorist attacks, Tunisian politicians from different parties managed to work together to pass a new constitution and hold elections for a permanent government.
The difference between Tunisia and other Arab Spring countries (Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Syria) lies in the fact that the military in Tunisia doesn’t get involved in politics and remains concerned by assuring the defence of the territory, the people and the sovereignty of the country. This is not the case in Egypt or Algeria, for instance, where the army runs the show and decides on any issue that concerns politics. On the other hand, Tunisia enjoys a strong and active civil society, a politically active middle class and a sense of tolerance and cohabitation.
Many political analysts described Sunday’s election as a referendum on the Islamist-led coalition’s stormy two years in office and punishment for a poor economic performance and unfulfilled expectations of the revolution.
Nidaa Tounes is led by Beji Caid Essebsi, an 87-year-old veteran politician who served as foreign minister in the 1980s and parliament speaker in the early 1990s under later deposed President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Nidaa Tounes, a liberal party with ties to the deposed regime has taken the most seats in Tunisia’s parliamentary elections, leaving the once-dominant Islamists running a close second, the country’s election commission has announced after the completion of final counting.
The Nidaa Tounes (Call of Tounes) party, running on an explicitly anti-Islamist platform, won 85 of the 217 seats in parliament, giving it the right to name a prime minister and lead a coalition government. The Ennahda party, which had previously dominated the parliament on a platform of moderate Islamism, won 69 seats.
Since overthrowing its dictator in 2011 and kicking off the Arab Spring pro-democracy wave Tunisia has been buffeted by economic turmoil and terrorist attacks. The party, which includes businessmen, trade unionists and politicians from the old regime, has all but ruled out forming a coalition with the Islamists, describing it as “against their nature”, and will turn to a collection of smaller parties to gather the necessary 109-seat majority.
Political Islam suffered a blow in Tunisia this week, with Ennahda party coming second to the secular Nidaa Tounes in parliamentary elections.
According to official results released by the country’s electoral committee early Thursday, Nidaa Tounes won 85 seats in the 217-seat parliament, followed by Ennahda with 69.
Nidaa Tounes, formed only two years ago, quickly emerged as the main opposition to Ennahda after the revolution. The secular party, led by 87-year-old Beji Caid Essebsi — a veteran of the regimes of Habib Bourguiba and Zine Al Abidine Ben Ali — is an alliance of former government officials, leftwing trade unionists and businessmen. Political analysts argue that there was a misunderstanding between the voter and the candidate in the 2011 elections.
As things didn’t get any better during the reign of Ennahda where things worsened — unemployment, bad economic performance, price hike, assassinations and terrorist acts…etc, voters turned their back to the Islamist party.
In the 2011 elections, Ennahda won 89 seats. In January 2014, it stepped down to make way for an independent government to draft the country’s constitution in response to political deadlock following the assassination of two leftwing opposition figures.
Many voted for Ennahda in 2011 to “punish” and “go the opposite direction to that of the old regime. They thought that because of their religious profile they’d be honest and non-corrupt. In less than one month, Tunisians will vote again to choose their president. The stakes here are important.
Based on the results, Nidaa Tounes will choose his allies to reach 109 seats to have the majority in the parliament.
However, what’s next for Tunisia is a score of important problems that have to be tackled and resolved quickly. Youngsters who turned their back to last week’s election want a job, a decent life and stability, social justice and democracy.
Tunisians want to see their demands and aspirations come true through good governance and good economic performance. Nidaa Tounes will face a score of challenges where the Tunisian youth and Tunisians in general want to see results and not slogans and promises.
Compared to Ben Ali’s era, things are getting worse, according to the majority of Tunisians. Food and meat prices are doubling, unemployment rate is 40pc and the economy in general is suffering a low performance in terms of investment and foreign tourist influx.
Democracy is more than politics and coalitions; it’s mainly the daily life of the citizen where s/he can enjoy a decent and a respectful living, a good governance, good economic performance and social justice.
The big question is: to what extent can Nidaa Tounes, Ennahda and other political forces in the country work in harmony for the wellbeing of Tunisians?
The writer is a Professor of Public Relations and Mass Communication at the College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University.
By Dr Mohamed Kirat
Last Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Tunisia were praised and acclaimed by many, including Western nations, for several reasons. A 62 percent voter participation, no incidents, and nobody complained about fraud among losers and winners.
Ennahda Islamist party leader Rached Alghanouchi congratulated the winner, Beji Caid Essebsi, even before the official results were out. Anthony Dworkin of the European Council on Foreign Relations argues, “At a time when hopes of moving towards political reform and accountable governments elsewhere in the Arab world have been dashed, Tunisia is the only country where the aspirations of the Arab uprisings may yet be fulfilled in the near future”.
Tunisia is the only country where the aspirations of the Arab uprisings may be met, and the objectives of those who marched and toppled president Ben Ali may reach the ground.
Tunisia’s transition to democracy has remained broadly on track while Libya and Syria have plunged into civil war and Egypt’s military overthrew the elected post-revolution president. Despite three years of political wrangling, economic turmoil and a rising number of terrorist attacks, Tunisian politicians from different parties managed to work together to pass a new constitution and hold elections for a permanent government.
The difference between Tunisia and other Arab Spring countries (Egypt, Libya, Yemen and Syria) lies in the fact that the military in Tunisia doesn’t get involved in politics and remains concerned by assuring the defence of the territory, the people and the sovereignty of the country. This is not the case in Egypt or Algeria, for instance, where the army runs the show and decides on any issue that concerns politics. On the other hand, Tunisia enjoys a strong and active civil society, a politically active middle class and a sense of tolerance and cohabitation.
Many political analysts described Sunday’s election as a referendum on the Islamist-led coalition’s stormy two years in office and punishment for a poor economic performance and unfulfilled expectations of the revolution.
Nidaa Tounes is led by Beji Caid Essebsi, an 87-year-old veteran politician who served as foreign minister in the 1980s and parliament speaker in the early 1990s under later deposed President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Nidaa Tounes, a liberal party with ties to the deposed regime has taken the most seats in Tunisia’s parliamentary elections, leaving the once-dominant Islamists running a close second, the country’s election commission has announced after the completion of final counting.
The Nidaa Tounes (Call of Tounes) party, running on an explicitly anti-Islamist platform, won 85 of the 217 seats in parliament, giving it the right to name a prime minister and lead a coalition government. The Ennahda party, which had previously dominated the parliament on a platform of moderate Islamism, won 69 seats.
Since overthrowing its dictator in 2011 and kicking off the Arab Spring pro-democracy wave Tunisia has been buffeted by economic turmoil and terrorist attacks. The party, which includes businessmen, trade unionists and politicians from the old regime, has all but ruled out forming a coalition with the Islamists, describing it as “against their nature”, and will turn to a collection of smaller parties to gather the necessary 109-seat majority.
Political Islam suffered a blow in Tunisia this week, with Ennahda party coming second to the secular Nidaa Tounes in parliamentary elections.
According to official results released by the country’s electoral committee early Thursday, Nidaa Tounes won 85 seats in the 217-seat parliament, followed by Ennahda with 69.
Nidaa Tounes, formed only two years ago, quickly emerged as the main opposition to Ennahda after the revolution. The secular party, led by 87-year-old Beji Caid Essebsi — a veteran of the regimes of Habib Bourguiba and Zine Al Abidine Ben Ali — is an alliance of former government officials, leftwing trade unionists and businessmen. Political analysts argue that there was a misunderstanding between the voter and the candidate in the 2011 elections.
As things didn’t get any better during the reign of Ennahda where things worsened — unemployment, bad economic performance, price hike, assassinations and terrorist acts…etc, voters turned their back to the Islamist party.
In the 2011 elections, Ennahda won 89 seats. In January 2014, it stepped down to make way for an independent government to draft the country’s constitution in response to political deadlock following the assassination of two leftwing opposition figures.
Many voted for Ennahda in 2011 to “punish” and “go the opposite direction to that of the old regime. They thought that because of their religious profile they’d be honest and non-corrupt. In less than one month, Tunisians will vote again to choose their president. The stakes here are important.
Based on the results, Nidaa Tounes will choose his allies to reach 109 seats to have the majority in the parliament.
However, what’s next for Tunisia is a score of important problems that have to be tackled and resolved quickly. Youngsters who turned their back to last week’s election want a job, a decent life and stability, social justice and democracy.
Tunisians want to see their demands and aspirations come true through good governance and good economic performance. Nidaa Tounes will face a score of challenges where the Tunisian youth and Tunisians in general want to see results and not slogans and promises.
Compared to Ben Ali’s era, things are getting worse, according to the majority of Tunisians. Food and meat prices are doubling, unemployment rate is 40pc and the economy in general is suffering a low performance in terms of investment and foreign tourist influx.
Democracy is more than politics and coalitions; it’s mainly the daily life of the citizen where s/he can enjoy a decent and a respectful living, a good governance, good economic performance and social justice.
The big question is: to what extent can Nidaa Tounes, Ennahda and other political forces in the country work in harmony for the wellbeing of Tunisians?
The writer is a Professor of Public Relations and Mass Communication at the College of Arts and Sciences, Qatar University.
