Is Tunisia Heading Towards Democracy?

AMNA GUELLALI, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA AT AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: Tunisia has been undergoing democratic process for 10 years now, since it toppled its longtime dictator President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011. And there were many achievements realized since then, with free and fair elections, a new democratic constitution and a new system of governance. However, there was also a lot of disenchantment and discontent with the mismanagement of the country with the lack of jobs, the dire economic situation, and most recently, the mishandling of the health crisis due to the COVID-19. And so, popular demands were mounting, to dismantle the parliament and to put a halt to the democratic process. And these demands met also with Saied, President Saied own criticism of the constitutional process and his vision of a new democratic system that is more direct and based on local elections. And so, it wasn’t that much of a surprise to see that people were cheering at the streets. Now, what is important to note is that the democratic process in Tunisia, no matter how dysfunctional, ineffective and flow it was, did keep the country as a role model for democracy in the region, which was plagued by wars and dictatorships. Did prevent also a descent into a civil war, and created a new system of governance, where there were checks and balances —

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: Right.

GUELLALI: — where there were also, you know, like, all kinds of guarantees. Now, what Saied did is completely —

AMANPOUR: OK, Amna, let me ask you, I need to ask you a question. Amna?

GUELLALI: Yes.

AMANPOUR: I just need to break in because you’ve raised some really important points. So yes, that’s why we’re looking at Tunisia, because exactly as you described, it was the great hope of your region. And now whatever the President Saied says, and once he has done is consolidated power under his auspices, instituted a curfew suspended parliament, fired the government. Do you believe that there is a way out of this towards reestablishing democracy? Or is this going to be a consolidation of power, and let’s say Egypt, when, when General Sisi crackdown, and now has basically presides over one of the most authoritarian regimes in Egypt’s history.

GUELLALI: While the Egyptian model is definitely haunting many of the observers in Tunisia, but I think it is too early to make pronouncements on whether this is putting a hole to the democratic process as such, and in an indefinite way on whether we are we can reestablish democracy. What President Saied did so far is announced the suspension of the parliament for 30 days, it’s a temporary period. But it is unknown whether he will really stick to that timeframe.