Nik Tikoo '17

In 2011, the Arab Spring began in Tunisia, Africa’s northernmost country. During this revolution, Tunisia’s autocratic president, Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, was ousted after a 23-year reign. Ben Ali’s fall from power raised hopes for the emergence of a democratic political tradition in Tunisia.

In the elections that followed Ben Ali’s ouster, the moderate Islamist Ennahda party came to power after winning 89 of the 217 parliamentary seats. During Ennahda’s rule in January 2014,   Tunisia adopted a new constitution that balances power between the parliament and an elected president and includes a comprehensive list of rights and freedoms. The first parliamentary election under the new constitution was held in October 2014; this will be followed by a presidential election in late-November 2014.

In the recently held election, the two main contesting parties were the ruling Ennahda party and a newly formed party called Nidaa Tounes. Nidaa Tounes is a motley group comprised of secular politicians, independents, and former officials of Ben Ali’s cabinet. It is led by 87-year-old Beji Caid Essebsi, an experienced administrator who served as a minister under Tunisia’s first president and as parliamentary speaker in Ben Ali’s regime.

Riding on an anti-incumbency vote, Nidaa Tounes emerged as the single largest party as it won 83 of the 217 parliament seats. Ennahda won 68 seats and three other parties won 17, 12, and 9 seats each. Nidaa Tounes’s success is being attributed to Ennahda’s failure to strengthen the Tunisian economy and also for its inability to stem a growing Islamic insurgency within the country. Expectedly, people’s expectations of a post-revolution formed government were very high and it was difficult for Ennahda to match expectations.

In the absence of an absolute majority, Nidaa Tounes will have to form a coalition government. Ennahda has expressed its willingness to cooperate with Nidaa Tounes to form a national unity coalition to govern the country. For the coalition to be successful, however, the Islamic-secular divide between the two major parties will have to be bridged.

The free and fair Tunisian election and the prospect of a peaceful transfer of power are positive developments toward establishing a long-term democratic political tradition in the country. Tunisia is a ray of hope for democracy in a region where several other countries are in political turmoil. There are, however, a few potential road mines in Tunisia’s path toward becoming the first Arab democracy; coalition governments are often unstable and inefficient. It needs to be seen how the new coalition government will function. The active Islamic insurgency will continue be a threat to the potential for democracy.

Sources:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/28/world/africa/nidaa-tounes-ennahda-tunisian-parliamentary-election.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/jackson-diehl-tunisia-boldly-embraces-democracy/2014/10/26/8d86b19a-5adc-11e4-b812-38518ae74c67_story.html

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2014/10/tunisia-ennahda-says-secular-rivals-ahead-20141027141737474289.html

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/tunisias-secular-party-takes-lead-in-parliament-vote-source/article21311496/

http://www.voanews.com/content/polls-close-in-tunisian-parliamentary-election/2497273.html