THE CHANGE |
Tunisia’s independence, gained in 1956, was the crowning point of a National Movement led by a number of patriots and reformers, who often risked their lives to reconcile the values of authenticity and modernism in a free, sovereign country.
This can be seen in the first decisions of the new Tunisian state: unification of justice on the basis of statute law, the proclamation of individual freedoms, and the promulgation of a Code of Personal Status, absolutely revolutionary for an Arab-Muslim country in that it enshrined women’s rights, banned polygamy, and abolished repudiation. The Constituent National Assembly was elected in 1957 and abolished the monarchy, proclaimed a Republic and enacted a liberal Constitution. But the late 1970's saw the domestic situation worsen as the health of the President, Habib Bourguiba, deteriorated. This gradual weakening at the top of the executive power was quickly exploited by extremists, whose fanatical designs prompted terrorist acts, especially in 1986. The fundamentalist threat became increasingly clear until it seemed about to constitute a real danger for the country. Luckily, on 7 November 1987, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali took over, acting in accordance with the provisions in the Tunisian Constitution, changed the situation, opening a new page in the country's 3.000 year-old history. The second President of the Republic of Tunisia used his inaugural speech to lay the foundations for a revival of democracy, freedom, and respect for human rights. With hope born again and confidence restored, people got back to work. First, the new government brought together all the various elements of the Tunisian society and, using a consensual approach, carried out an in-depth reform of political life and institutions. One aspect of this reform was a "law on political parties" that made it easier to set these up, thus starting out on the road to pluralism. After thirty years of one-party rule, Tunisia opened up with pragmatism and efficiency. |
