Politics of Tunisia

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Tunisia
This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Tunisia

President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi National Assembly Chamber of Deputies Chamber of Councillors Political parties Elections Governorates Foreign relations
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Politics in Tunisia take place under a framework of a presidential republic. The President of Tunisia is both head of state and head of government, and there is a pluriform multi-party system dominated by the Democratic Constitutional Rally. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Chamber of Deputies of Tunisia.

The current Constitution was adopted on June 1, 1959 soon after its independence from France. The constitution has been changed twice to allow the President to remain in power: initially from two to three terms, and then from three to five. It was amended on July 12, 1988 to limit to two the number of terms a president is allowed to run. In 1998 it was amended to allow the President three terms. In 2002 it was changed to allow the president to rule for five terms.

President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali has been in office since 1987 when he deposed Habib Bourguiba, who had been President since Tunisia's independence from France in 1956. He is currently in his fourth term, having been reelected in 2004. The ruling party, the Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD), was the sole legal party for 25 years — when it was known as the Socialist Destourian Party (PSD) — and still dominates political life.

1 Background
2 Executive branch
3 Legislative branch
4 Political parties and elections
5 Judicial branch
6 Legal system
7 Administrative divisions
8 International organization participation

[edit] Background

Tunisia is noteworthy for its lack of public political discourse. The precise political situation in Tunisia is hard to determine, due to the effective level of silence the government has enforced and the lack of transparency.

There is strong evidence that dissidents are routinely arrested, for crimes as minor as looking at banned web sites. The growth of the Internet has been a major issue for Tunisia, with European tourists and internet service providers so close by. Tunisia allows only censored Internet access in its own country. This censorship bars all materials deemed pornographic, political opposition including many French online papers, and any chat group references critical of the government.

It seems unlikely that the oppression brought to bear is restricted only to the Internet. Tunisia has no free press and Tunisians are almost never willing to speak about politics. The Internet has only made public the pervasive structure of state control which has managed to shroud itself in a western friendly face, welcoming masses of tourists who can even enjoy topless beaches.

Tunisia is also noteworthy for the extensive male prostitution trade which focuses on the beaches westerners go for vacation. The government seems to treat male sex workers as non-criminals.

As for the underground opposition from Islamic Fundamentalists, these groups have an obvious but not clear existence in the nation. Under former Habib Bourguiba Islamic Fundamentalists were allowed to serve as a counter to more left wing movements. In 1987 the threat from Movement of the Islamic Tendency gave the pretext for current president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali to take power in a bloodless coup. Ben Ali has followed an aggressive policy regarding the Fundamentalists but the extent of any government success is difficult to judge in a nation where so much is secret. Because of a widespread program of interrogation and suppression the Islamic Fundamentalist movements have gone underground, but not vanished.

The Ghriba synagogue bombing by what many believe to be al-Qaeda April 11, 2002 killing 21 people shows that radical groups in the country can still conduct suicide attacks. The synagogue in question was well behind the main road, situated behind concrete blocks and guarded. The attack demonstrated a great deal of determination.

The Tunisian government continues to insist that the attack was the work of Nizar Nawar and his uncle. Western governments have traced it to a larger operation in Spain and Saudi Arabia.

As with almost all Islamic nations the US invasion of Iraq has greatly increased the prestige and public support for these groups, though the extent of these feelings are impossible to determine accurately. While the threat of Islamic Terror exists in Tunisia, and as long as President Ben Ali uses any means to fight it, there is little chance that pressure for genuine democracy and reform will come from the west.

However standards of living are some of the best in the third world. Tunisia remains a repressive regime, but one free of many of the evils of starvation, homelessness, and disease seen in much of Africa.

[edit] Executive branch

Main office holders
Office	Name	Party	Since
President	Zine El Abidine Ben Ali	RCD	November 7, 1987
Prime Minister	Mohamed Ghannouchi	RCD	November 17, 1999

Tunisia's Head of State is President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. He has held this role since November 7, 1987. According to the constitution this position is popularly elected, and in the presidential election of 1999, the president received 99.4% of the vote. The presidential term lasts 5 years, and all adults older than 20 may vote.

The last presidential election was held on October 24, 2004. The President appoints the Prime Minister and his cabinet, who since November 17, 1999 has been Mohammed Ghannouchi. The Council of Ministers is appointed by the president. Regional governors and local administrators also are appointed by the central government; largely consultative mayors and municipal councils are elected.

[edit] Legislative branch

The unicameral Chamber of Deputies of Tunisia (Majlis al-Nuwaab) has 189 seats and members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms. 20% of the seats are reserved for the opposition. It plays a growing role as an arena for debate on national policy but never originates legislation and virtually always passes bills presented by the executive with only minor changes.

[edit] Political parties and elections

For other political parties see List of political parties in Tunisia. An overview on elections and election results is included in Elections in Tunisia.

[discuss] – [edit]
**Summary of the 24 October 2004 Tunisian Presidential election results**
	Votes	%
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali - Democratic Constitutional Rally (Rassemblement Constitutionelle et Démocratique)	4,202,292	94.5
Mohamed Bouchiha - Party of People's Unity (Parti de l'Unité Populaire)	167,986	3.8
Mohamed Ali Halouani - Renewal Movement Ettajdid (Mouvement de la Rénovation-Ettajdid)	42,213	1.0
Mohamed Mouni Béji - Social Liberal Party (Parti Social-Libéral)	35,067	0.8
Total (turnout 91.5 %)	4,449,558	100.0
Invalid votes	14,779
Total votes	4,464,337
Source: Tunisia Online News

[discuss] – [edit]
**Summary of the 24 October 2004 Chamber of Deputies of Tunisia election results**
Parties	Votes	%	Seats
Democratic Constitutional Rally (Rassemblement Constitutionel et Démocratique)	3,678,645	87.7	152
Movement of Socialist Democrats (Mouvement des Démocrates Socialistes/Hizb al-Dimocratiyin al-Ishtirakiyin)	194,829	4.6	14
Party of People's Unity (Parti de l'Unité Populaire)	152,987	3.6	11
Unionist Democratic Union (Union Démocratique Unioniste	92,708	2.2	7
Renewal Movement Ettajdid (Mouvement de la Rénovation-Ettajdid)	43,268	1.0	3
Social Liberal Party (Parti Social-Libéral)	25,261	0.6	2
Total (turnout 91.5 %)	4,199,846		189
Invalid votes	15,305
Total votes	4,215,151
Source: Rulers/Adam Carr

[edit] Judicial branch

The judiciary is nominally independent but responds to executive direction especially in political cases. See also the Cour de Cassation.

[edit] Legal system

The Tunisian legal system is based on French civil law system and Islamic law; some judicial review of legislative acts in the Supreme Court in joint session.