Nidaa Tounes

Nidaa Tounes
حركة نداء تونس
Chairperson Mohamed Ennaceur (interim)
Founded June 16, 2012 (2012-06-16)
Headquarters 3, rue du Lac de Garde
Les Berges du Lac
1053 Tunis
Youth wing Nidaa Tounes Youth Movement
Membership (2014) 110,000[1]
Ideology Bourguibism[2][3]
Social democracy
Social liberalism
Big tent
Secularism[4]
Political position Centre-left
International affiliation None
Colours      Red
Slogan "Call of Tunisia, A call for all Tunisians"
Assembly of the Representatives of the People
67 / 217
Website
www.nidaatounes.net

Nidaa Tounes[5] (Arabic: حركة نداء تونس‎‎ Nidā’ Tūnis, French: Appel de la Tunisie; usually translated as "Call of Tunisia", "Call for Tunisia",[6] or "Tunisia's Call"[7]) is a big tent secularist political party in Tunisia. After being founded in 2012, the party won a plurality of seats in the October 2014 parliamentary election.[8] The party's founding leader Beji Caid Essebsi was elected President of Tunisia in the 2014 presidential election.

History

Foundation

The party's foundation was announced when former prime minister Beji Caid Essebsi on April 20, 2012 launched his Call for Tunisia as a response to post-revolutionary "instances of disturbing extremism and violence that threaten public and individual liberties, as well as the security of the citizens".[9] It was officially founded on 16 June 2012 and describes itself as a "modernist"[10] and "social-democratic" party of the moderate left.[11] However, it also includes notable economically liberal currents.[12][13][14]

The party has patched together former members of ousted president Ben Ali's Constitutional Democratic Rally, secular leftists, progressive liberals and Destourians (followers of Tunisia's "founder" Habib Bourguiba). In addition, the party has the support of many members of the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) and the national employers' union, UTICA. They believe that Tunisia's secular forces have to unite to counter the dominance of the Islamist Ennahda Movement.[10][4]

From its foundation until July 2013, 11 members of the Constituent Assembly joined the party by defecting from various other parties.[15]

Union for Tunisia

On 11 February 2013, the Republican Party joined Nidaa Tounes and four other parties in a political alliance called Union for Tunisia (UPT).[16] Moreover, it participated in the formation of the broad oppositional National Salvation Front in July 2013.[17] However, ahead of the October 2014 legislative election, Nidaa Tounes decided to run its own lists and not to contest the election as part of the UPT.[18]

Prominent members

Election results

Election year # of total votes % of overall vote # of seats
Assembly of the Representatives of the People
2014 1,279,941 37,56%
86 / 217

References

  1. ↑ "L'interview intégrale de Béji Caïd Essebsi à Leaders : J'irai jusqu'au bout!" (in French). 2014-09-01. Retrieved 2014-12-24.
  2. ↑ Steve A. Cook (12 November 2014). "Tunisia: First Impressions". Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  3. ↑ "In the shade of Bourguiba". The Economist. 4 November 2014. Retrieved 25 November 2014.
  4. 1 2 Churchill, Erik (27 June 2012), "The ‘Call for Tunisia’", Foreign Policy
  5. ↑ Feuer, Sarah (3 October 2014). "Elections in Tunisia: Steps Toward Democratic Consolidation". Policywatch. The Washington Institute.
  6. ↑ Tajine, Synda (21 June 2012). "Tunisia's Most Intimidating Statesman Creates New Party". AL Monitor.
  7. ↑ "Country profile Tunisia" (PDF). The World Factbook. CIA (Central Intelligence Agency). 2014.
  8. ↑ Monica Marks (29 October 2014). "The Tunisian election result isn’t simply a victory for secularism over Islamism". Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  9. ↑ "L’Appel de Tunisie de Béji Caïd Essebsi.". Business News. 2012-04-20. Retrieved 2014-12-23.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Monica Marks; Omar Belhaj Salah (28 March 2013). "Uniting for Tunisia?". Sada. Retrieved 30 October 2014.
  11. 1 2 Tavana, Daniel; Russell, Alex (October 2014). "Previewing Tunisia’s Parliamentary & Presidential Elections" (PDF). Project on Middle East Democracy. p. 9. Retrieved 2014-12-23.
  12. ↑ Schäfer, Isabel (4 November 2014). "After the first free parliamentary elections in Tunisia: New horizons or back to square one?". Qantara.de.
  13. ↑ Turak, Natasha. "Nidaa Tounes Leads Ennahdha by Strong Margin". Tunisia-live.net.
  14. ↑ Wolf, Anne (December 2014). "Power Shift in Tunisia: Electoral Success of Secular Parties Might Deepen Polarization" (PDF). SWP Comments (54). German Institute for International and Security Affairs: 4.
  15. ↑ "Deux élues d'Ettakatol rejoignent Nidaa Tounès", Tunisie Numerique, 9 July 2013
  16. ↑ Union for Tunisia: Jebali's initiative "step forward on right path", TAP, 12 February 2013
  17. ↑ Tunisia: Political Parties and Civil Society Components Announce Formation of National Salvation Front, Tunis Africa Presse, 26 July 2013, retrieved 15 September 2013
  18. ↑ "Après la défection de Nidaa Tounès : L’Union pour la Tunisie dans l’expectative !". Le Temps. 28 June 2014.
  19. ↑ Barrouhi, Abdelaziz (2012-06-28). "Tunisie : l'appel du 16 juin de Béji Caïd Essebsi". Jeune Afrique. Retrieved 2014-12-24.
  • Stepan, Alfred; Linz, Juan J. (2014). Democratization Theory and the "Arab Spring". Democratization and Authoritarianism in the Arab World. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 90. 
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