Daily Times

Tunisians voted on Sunday, December 21, 2014 in a presidential run-off election. Voting was largely pronounced free and fair with a turnout rate of 60.11 percent. For the first time in the country’s modern history, Tunisians did not know in advance who would be the winners and who would be given a mandate to decide the country’s future political makeup. Tunisia is in its fourth year of transition since the January 2011 Jasmine Revolution ended the authoritarian regime of then President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali and sparked a wave of unrest in much of the Arab world.

Tunisia is the most hopeful of any Arab Spring country as it aims to complete a peaceful transition into fully democratic rule. A National Constituent Assembly was elected in October 2011 in Tunisia’s first-ever open, multiparty contest. The Islamist Al-Nahda party won a plurality of seats and formed a troika coalition with two centrist, secular parties. The assembly’s mandate, initially expected to last no more than a year, stretched into two as the troika confronted a series of political crises. In January 2014, the troika was dissolved in favour of a technocratic government that has overseen preparations for new elections. The constituent assembly then finalised and voted to adopt a new constitution, which has been widely hailed as exemplary.

In practice, civil and political liberties have expanded and Tunisia has experienced far less violence than some other transitional countries such as Libya and Egypt. Earlier this year, parliamentary elections were held in Tunisia on October 26, 2014 and, according to their results, secularist Nidaa Tounes won a plurality with 38 percent of the vote. Unlike Libya and Egypt, Tunisia allowed former Ben Ali’s officials to run in the parliamentary elections and they won in regional cities and towns where they still retain influence.

This presidential election was between Beji Caid Essebsi, a former Ben Ali official, and Moncef Marzouki, the incumbent who claims to defend the legacy of the 2011 revolution. On December 22, 2014, official results of the run-off election showed Beji Caid Essebsi beating his rival Moncef Marzouki by 55.68 percent votes. Soon after the declaration of the presidential election results, in a Facebook post, Marzouki conceded defeat and congratulated Essebsi on winning the election, which has set a good precedent. These results have led to a bipolarisation of party politics in the country by splitting secular and Islamist forces. Marzouki, who was frontrunner in the run-off, time and again has criticised Essebsi and has said that the former Ben Ali official will bring back the authoritarian policies of the previous authoritarian regime. Essebsi, who was speaker in Bin Ali’s parliament, has dismissed critics who say he will mark the return of the old regime’s loyalists.

Essebsi had focused his campaign on several objectives such as a plan to save the national economy based on national consensus, a process of transitional justice aiming at finalising Tunisia’s post-Ben Ali transition, safeguarding individual freedoms and ensuring the neutrality of mosques. In his first post-victory interview he asked all Tunisians to unite in favour of transition. Moreover, he announced that he intends to introduce economic reforms.

These are the first presidential elections under the country’s new constitution, adopted by the Tunisian parliament on January 26, 2014. It was praised as one of the Arab world’s most progressive charters, by recognising Islam as the state religion and protecting freedom of belief and gender parity in politics and society. It also ensures political pluralism by affirming the opposition’s rights. The constitution creates a mixed presidential system. A directly elected president/head of state exercises powers over defence and foreign affairs but shares executive authority with the legislature, which selects a prime minister.

Tunisia has a small territory, a relatively well-educated and homogenous population and a history of encouraging women’s freedom. Still, Tunisians face significant challenges in reforming state institutions, addressing economic disparity and responding to security concerns. It would be a testing time for the newly elected president of the country to handle various issues simultaneously. However, the recent, peaceful political transition will increase the trust of the Tunisian public in democracy and will strengthen their constitution. Moreover, it will set a model for those regional countries that yet have to experience a political and peaceful transition.

The writer works at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) and can be reached at Khurram.minhas89@yahoo.com