New bill opens Tunisian elections to opposition but leaves Chebbi out
2008-03-26
Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is promoting a bill that would allow opposition party leaders to stand in the country's 2009 presidential elections without signatures of support from elected officials. The specifics of the bill, while reportedly constituting a step towards political openness, exclude opposition candidate Nejib Chebbi from participating.
By Jamel Arfaoui for Magharebia in Tunis – 26/03/08
 [Jamel Arfaoui] A poster in Tunis calls on President President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to stand for re-election. A proposed amendment opens Tunisian elections to opposition but leaves a major contender out of the race. |
A proposed constitutional amendment announced by Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali on the occasion of Independence Day would potentially allow legally recognised political parties to nominate their leaders to stand in the country's 2009 presidential elections.
In a speech delivered March 20th, Ben Ali said, "As far as the 2009 presidential elections are concerned, we shall extraordinarily incorporate in this proposed amendment the possibility for leaders of every political party, whether heads, secretaries-general or first secretaries, to stand for president."
Under the proposed change, leaders of any party would be able to run, provided they were elected to the post and held it for two consecutive years.
The amendment aims to cancel a previous requirement under the Tunisian Constitution stating that every candidate must collect signatures from elected officials, such as members of parliament and heads of municipal councils. It is difficult for all candidates not in the ruling party to collect these signatures, especially as the representation of opposition parties in Parliament or municipal councils is very low. Ben Ali's ruling Constitutional Democratic Rally controls 80% of the Parliament.
In a statement to Magharebia, Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) Secretary-General Maya Jribi said that the new constitutional amendment "was tailor-made to exclude real contenders; an exclusion that we reject and deem as an intervention in the sovereign decisions of the parties."
The new amendment prevents former PDP leader Néjib Chebbi – nominated by this party last month – from being a candidate. At a March 25th press conference, Chebbi described the government's move as a "manoeuvre designed to sideline the only declared opposition candidate."
Chebbi relinquished his party leadership in December 2006, making Maya Jribi the only PDP member eligible to stand for election.
Jribi said that since 1999, the country has witnessed three constitutional amendments related to presidential elections. "This emphasises the shortcomings of the Tunisian electoral system and its lack of responsiveness to reality and demands of the democrats. In addition, it doesn’t reflect the plurality enjoyed by Tunisian society," she said.
Mustafa Bin Jaafar, Secretary-General of the Democratic Forum for Labour and Liberties (FDTL), said the new amendment would exclude his party from joining the race at all. The party leader told Magharebia, "The new amendment has placed us out of the race... a tactic that has been repeated for the third time in a row."
Bin Jaafar, who is ineligible because his party has not held an electoral conference since it was licensed in 2002, called for a dramatic revision of nomination requirements.
Mondher Thabet, Secretary-General of the Liberal Social Party, defended the proposed constitutional amendment and considered it to be a step in the right direction. Thabet told Magharebia the decision shows the flexibility and responsiveness of the authorities, adding that "Whoever says that this measure includes exclusion, their words can be refuted."
Referring to the PDP's claims, Thabet stressed that the party still has the chance to nominate its leader as a candidate.
In another significant change to the electoral process announced by Ben Ali, the national age of suffrage will be lowered to 18. This will open up the vote to more than half a million young people in the next election.
In the 2004 elections, Ben Ali defeated three other contenders after wining 94.4% of electors' votes.
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وسام عتمان Posted 2008-03-28
Yes I agree because it develops the economy.
slim Posted 2008-03-30
These elections are already rigged!!! Democracy is not Mr. Ben Ali’s forté!!! Why doesn’t he follow Mr. Bourguiba’s path? After all, that is the wish of his master!!!
فخرى حمدي Posted 2009-02-20
Sir, I am a Tunisian citizen from Bousalem. I am a supporter of the rally, my father was a militant. I have three babies who are starving, endure cold, poverty and misery. My wife, my 9 year old daughter and I were attacked by the police of Boussalem. I am also looking for someone to buy one of my kids so that I can secure a dignified living to the others. I also think of committing suicide as I see my kids suffering. When I claimed my right to a dignified life I was attacked and driven to a psychologist as they tried to make me mad. Sirs, I am quite sound psychologically. My only wish is to meet the president and give him a letter from an oppressed man in Tunisia. This is my only wish. Fakhri Ahmed.
kadri Posted 2009-04-08
I believe what Mr Boussalem said. But why doesn't he consider his issue transparently? Fakhri Hamdi has the right to meet any official. We know many cases which happened and which I saw even worse than what Mr Fakhri said. This phenomenon makes the people deviate. We know that if the president was aware of this, he would have judged those who oppressed them.
عبد القادر بنعثمان ABDELKADER BEN OTHMEN Posted 2009-06-12
How can someone who is not even able to collect himself together and his ideas in a clear expression to address the media despite their flagrant contradiction ask to lead the nation? He is not even capable to leading “his ideas” and “pieces of himself”. Let's examine the statement of Maya Jribi when she says “ As much as it doesn't reflect pluralism of the Tunisian society”. Is this a recognition of what she always tries to deny: the existence of pluralism in Tunisia? According to this statement in which the expression betrayed its author, she has uncovered to observers a very important fact which its party always tries to hide. The fact is that the Tunisian society: 1/ experiences a political pluralism with the acknowledgment of the secretary-general of a party which is considered to be one of the most negative parties. 2/ Talking about pluralism presupposes the existence of democracy because pluralism is the background image of democracy. Pluralist societies are necessarily democratic societies. This uncovers another truth which is very important but which such parties try to hide and deny. It is the fact that Tunisia is a democratic country... So we are in front of important facts recognized by an opposition party which pretends exclusion – unknowingly- Tunisia is a pluralist and democratic country... 3/ Pluralism admitted by Mrs Maya Jribi is associated with the present moment not the past. Who is the president of the current time? Is it not Ben Ali?...So the mistake in the expression uncovers another more important fact: president Zine Al Abidine Ben Ali has achieved for his society political pluralism and what it implicitly requires in achieving democracy. These facts uncover another fact: the weakness of opposition and its paralysis in a pluralist and democratic society make of it the only defect of this society. This is because it has turned into a state of obstruction and crippling the progress of society. It is also diverting its interest from main issues instead of forming support and boosting forces. On the other hand, how does Ben Ali deal with those who are supposed to be his rivals for the presidency? Is it not supposed that political achievements of parties should be reached through political battles, programmes, that they don't take anything unless they're capable of taking it? So what has happened? The president of the state with his parental kindness offers them new gifts and political luxury in which they should have been parties to its manufacture through hard work and finding solutions. So this is a slight testimony to “the family democracy” in Tunisia.
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