Youngest candidate in Tunisian elections seeks change

2009-10-15

The youngest candidate in Tunisia's upcoming elections, Mona Weslati, is looking to give youth more chances to shape their country's future.

By Jamel Arfaoui for Magharebia from Tunis — 15/10/09

[Jamel Arfaoui] Tunisian candidate Mona Weslati vows to seek a greater voice for youth.

Mouna Oueslati, 28, is the youngest of the many contenders in Tunisia's October 25th legislative elections. The graduate student's vision for her country includes democratic change and a louder voice for young people in shaping the nation's destiny.

The time may be ripe for Oueslati's run for office, which takes place against a backdrop of wider opportunities for young Tunisians to participate in electoral politics. A newly amended Electoral Code that lowers the country's voting age from 20 to 18 has political parties chasing the youth vote.

Magharebia: Could you tell our readers a little about yourself?

Mouna Oueslati: I was born on December 28th, 1981. I am a member of the executive office of the General Union of Tunisian Students (UGET). I have a BA in accounting and I am registered at the third stage in the accounting graduate program.

I am proud to be Tunisian. Like most young men and women, I dream of attaining social and financial stability. I also believe in the necessity of introducing democratic change and enabling all Tunisian youth to have the resources to make their simple dreams come true on their national soil.

Magharebia: What does it mean to you to be the youngest candidate in the legislative elections?

Oueslati: I am a Tunisian citizen, above the age of 23, which is the minimum age for the Parliament candidature.

Magharebia: How did you come up with the idea of running for office? Weslati: Out of my keenness to play a role in the public arena and my belief in the necessity of democratic change and the activation of institutions, I was eager to take part in the 2009 legislative elections. Added to the above is that the fact that I am a Tunisian young woman and I have faith in youth's role in every democratic change.

My participation was therefore triggered by two reasons: First, a personal reason, namely to develop my own experience and my civil awareness, to make the voice of youth heard and to express their aspirations. Second, the lists of democracy and social justice seek to mirror the true image of the Tunisian nation, with all its classes, and to voice their makeup, aspirations and demands. Since the Tunisian society is young, it is natural for the composition of the lists to reflect that reality, rather than bypass it. Alternatively, the youth, being dynamic, prepared and "pure", can lead the way to democratic change. They can easily relate to the various strata and forces of the nation to breathe into them sufficient hope to bring about the leap to a better future. Our participation leans on our belief that the republican system is essentially based on citizenship, which, in turn, is characterised by the right to elect and select.

As such, running for the elections on the lists of independent candidates under the slogan "In pursuit of Democracy and Social Justice" is a step we see as essential to develop our civil and democratic practices, to pull Tunisians out of the pitfall of negativity and political resignation and to train them to manage the general state of affairs and partake in the political decision-making.

Magharebia: What political programme are you proposing?

Oueslati: We are still waiting for the final list, and so we have not set out to forge our program yet. Below is a brief outline of our proposed programme that seeks to realise a democratic republic, namely, separation of religion and state, and maintaining the state's neutrality toward belief, preventing religion from being manipulated to serve politics by any parties, whether in power or in the opposition. [Our list includes:]

- Respect for public and individual freedoms as well as the freedom of belief, respect for human rights and protecting them against violations;

- Complete gender equality, and preventing all gender and belief-based discrimination among all society members;

- Establishing a democratic republic on the basis of full citizenship;

- Upholding direct public balloting as the only legitimate source of ruling;

- Respect for civil society, being a space for citizenship, freedom and counter-authority;

- Ensuring the government's lack of bias towards citizens, regardless of their belief or political affiliation;

- And the circulation of power, separation of authorities, the independence of the judiciary from the executive authority, and the legislative authority monitoring the executive authority.

Since the list is basically made up of young people, we will seek to address the role of the youth in managing the public state of affairs, the problem of unemployment and recruitment of holders of university degrees, activating women's role in the political life and enhancing the principle of gender equality.

Magharebia: Who is funding your campaign?

Oueslati: Our campaign is going to be self-funded, i.e., it will be financed by the candidates on the list, in addition to the public funding as specified in the Electoral Code. That, per se, is in line with the fundamental principle of the list, namely reliance on public and self-funding, and rejecting all sources of foreign funding. That is something we went through while preparing the list, as we used to meet on the streets or in the cafes of the capital.

Magharebia: If you make it into Parliament, what is the first legislation you will propose?

Oueslati: Amendment of the Parties Law, in order to lift the restrictions imposed on the right to form bodies and the right to political, union and civil practices.

Passing a law to provide for unemployment aid, as well as social insurance coverage for the unemployed, especially holders of university degrees.

Magharebia: Why didn't you run for office through one of the existing parties?

Oueslati: None of the existing parties offer programmes that are aligned with my convictions, especially in terms of regarding youth as an essential component in decision-making, and the adamant defence of democracy – through true actions and practices – and of the values of rationality and progress.

Notably, I was an activist within the national initiative for democracy and progress, in the committee of women and equality. I sensed a certain lack of seriousness in the administration of the Ettajdid Movement and their desire to monopolise decision-making and their dealing with youth as a mere figure with no role to play in their political manoeuvring.