DEMOCRATIZATION

IN TUNISIA

Presented by,
Wardah iftikhar
Maira Khan
Khatim Ghani
Zunaira Arshad
 LOCATION

• Tunisia is located in North

Africa. 

• The capital city of Tunisia is

Tunis. Its neighboring countries
are Algeria and Libya. It’s close
to the Mediterranean sea.

Democritization in Tunisia 2
 HISTOR IC AL B AC KGR OUND

• In 146 BC, Tunisia was conquered by the Romans

and became part of the Roman Empire, which had
a major influence on its culture and lifestyle. It
remained under Roman rule till the 5th century
AD. 
• Arab Conquest: In the 7th century AD, Tunisia
was conquered by Arab Muslims, which
introduced the Islamic religion, language, and
customs to the region.
• Ottoman Period: In the 16th century, Tunisia was
ruled by the Ottoman Empire and became a center
of trade and commerce in the region. 
• French Influence: Tunisia was later colonized by
the French in the late 19th century, which had a
profound impact on Tunisian society, culture, and
politics.
Democratization in Tunisia 3
• Tunisia has a long history of authoritarian rule and
political repression, dating back to the country's
independence from France in 1956. 

• Tunisia gained independence from France in 1956 and

became a republic. It experienced periods of
authoritarianism and political instability before
transitioning to a more democratic government in
recent times. 

• The country's first president, Habib Ali Bourguiba,

helped spearhead the country's independence
movement.

• The country remained under the one-party rule of

Habib Bourguiba and Zine El Abidine Ben Ali for
decades, with limited political freedoms and civil
rights.

• The Republic of Tunisia came into existence in 1957,

and the first constitution was adopted in June 1959.
Democratization in Tunisia 4
 • The constitution came into effect on 26 April 1861. It was
the first written constitution in Arab lands, as well as the
first constitution established by a state with Islam as its
religion. At the time in the West it was known as the
"Buyuruldu of the Bey of Tunis". 

• The Tunisian revolution in 2010 catalyzed the Arab Spring

uprisings, during which citizens across the Arab world
protested for democratic reforms and greater political
freedom. The Tunisian revolution was unique in that it
successfully overthrew Ben Ali's regime and ushered in a
new democratic era. 

• Tunisian Revolution: In 2011, a popular uprising led to the

ousting of the long-time dictator, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
This event, known as the Tunisian Revolution, sparked
other Arab Spring movements across the region.

Democratization in Tunisia 5
 ARAB SPRING

• Arab Spring was a series of anti-government protests in the Arab world. Tunisia was the
first country where it started.
• It led to a wave of revolution across the region.
• Started with self-immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi, a Tunisian street vendor, in
December 2010.
• Causes of Arab Spring
• Political oppression
• Economic hardship
• Youth frustration
• Human rights abuses
• Corruption

.
 ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS,
TRADE UNIONS AND POLITICAL PARTIES

Role of Social Media in Arab Spring

Communication Role of civil society organizations

• Social media platforms such as Twitter, • Civil society organization

Facebook, and YouTube helped to spread news • Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT)
and connect people
• Tunisian Human Rights League (LTDH)
Mobilization
• Other roles of civil society organizations
• Social media facilitated the rapid mobilization
of protesters and the coordination of Political parties
demonstrations. • Ennahda
Documentation • Secular parties
• Social media helped to document human rights
abuses and hold the government accountable.

.
 C H AL L E N G E S FAC E D B Y T U NI S I A

• Woes Unemployment
• Inflation
• Public debt
• Terrorism
• Political Instability

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 IMPACT ON OTHER COUNTRIES

• Egypt: The protests in Egypt led to the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak in
February 2011. This led to the establishment of a transitional government and the
adoption of a new constitution, which included greater protections for human rights and
greater political representation for Egyptians.
• Libya: The protests in Libya led to the overthrow of longtime leader Muammar
Gaddafi in October 2011. However, the country has struggled to establish a stable
government since then and has been plagued by violence and political instability..
• Yemen: The protests in Yemen led to the resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh in
February 2012. This led to the establishment of a transitional government, but the country
has since been wracked by violence and political instability.
• Syria: The protests in Syria led to a prolonged and ongoing civil war, which has resulted
in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and the displacement of millions more.
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LESSON LEARNED FROM
ARAB SPRING

.
  Constitutional framework 
 Constituent assembly of Tunisia drafted new
constitution to reduce chaos in the country.
 First constitution drafted on 14 august 2012 and a
second draft on 14 dec 2012.
 Opposition leader (Shoukri Belaid) assassinated
POST ARAB which interrupted the drafting process. However,
the assembly issued a third draft on 6 Feb 2013.
SPRING  Moncef Marzouki elected as the president of
Tunisia on 12 dec, 2011.
 The constitution declared Islam is the country’s
religion while at the same time recognising freedom
of conscience and belief and equality.

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 2014 CONSTITUTION

 Executive branch
 The constitution provides for a semi presidential system along the French
model.
 PM to be appointed from parliament, president but in consultation with
the later , will be significantly more powerful.
 PM has the right to appoint all the ministers except for defence and
foreign affairs.
 President of the republic is elected by general , free, secret and direct
elections
 Legislative branch
 Representatives elected by universal suffrage for a term of five years.
They can impeach president for grave violations against constitutions.
 Judiciary divided into four branches.
 Ordinary judiciary headed by supreme court
 Administrative judiciary
 Financial judiciary
 Constitutional court

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 FACTORS AFFECTING TRANSITION
PROCESS

 Political pluralism
 Islamists vs secularists
 Ennahda Movement
 Religion in politics
 The close association of democracy and capitalism
 Less public interest
 People wanted religious leaders to have strong influence over politics

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03/09/2023
 ELECTIONS OF 2014

 Tunisia was hailed as a truly functioning democracy in the

Arab world.
 The transition process was still not going smooth because of
internal voices from radical Islamic groups such as ansar al-
sharia
 Two liberal politicians (Chokri Belaid Ans Mohamed
Brahmi) were assassinated by Ansar al-Sharia due to their
liberal ideologies.
 Terrorism activities increased as well.
 Nidaa tounes party won elections from Ennahda party and
Beji Caid Essebi became president.
 Tunisian people wanted secular leadership to govern the
country. However, people felt disconnected with the new
democratic government because they believed that the
government is failed to revive the dwindling conditions of the
country .
 KAIS SAIED’S RISE TO POWER

The Outsider The The

Unconventional Authoritarian?
Saied was elected He took an His authoritarian
president in 2019 as unconventional approach to
an independent approach throughout governing and his
outsider with no his candidacy, controversial
political party and prioritizing decisions have since
no campaign team grassroots support sparked concerns
over political about the state of
alliances or media democracy in
campaigns Tunisia
.
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 NEW CONSTITUTION
AND REFERENDUM

• The referendum’s
. preliminary results show a
landslide victory for the yes vote (94%),
with a low turnout (30%). 
• No constitutional referendum has ever
passed with such a low turnout in the region
or in the world.
• Opposition leaders see it as a stark rejection
of Saied and a victory for their calls to
boycott, while, for other observers, it follows
the lines of ever-growing disinterest in
political life since 2011.

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 SAIED’S CONSTITUTION

• New constitution removes many of the

checks and balances of the 2014 constitution
and firmly centralizes power in the hands of
the president.
• The legislative branch is weakened and
divided into two bodies.
• The judiciary is reduced to an administrative
function of the executive branch under the
control of the president.
• Obscures the secular nature of the state.
• The new constitution refers to legislative,
judicial and executive "functions" rather
than powers

.
 2022-23 ELECTIONS

• According to the official figures, just 11.22% of

Tunisians turned out to the polls. 
• Effective governance requires institutions, and
public trust in those institutions. 
• From Saied’s point of view, this may be
advantageous
• Reasons of less public participation
•  Parties were not permitted to fund candidates for
these elections, and there was no public funding
for candidates either.

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 IS THIS AN END OF
DEMOCRACY IN TUNISIA?

Several opposition politicians and journalists who criticized Saied

were detained or jailed.

The National Assembly is now simply an advisory body for the

president.

However, still have civil society groups and a media in Tunisia which
can act as a check on his power, and there are still protests by the
public.

72% of Tunisians still preferred democracy to any other system. But

the same polling also found that a plurality of respondents believed
that the system needs to be totally “replaced” rather than “reformed.” 
.
 • Majority population agreed with the sentiment that
as long as the government solves the country’s
economic problems, it doesn’t matter what kind of
government is in place.
• Inclusive national dialogue, economic stability,
FUTURE institutional independent and reinforcing democratic
principles will return Tunisia to a democratic path.
PROSPECT • The next presidential election is in 2024. Even if
Saied wins another five years in power, he cannot
serve for more than two terms.
• ‘This is not the end of Tunisia's democratic story’

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 CONCLUSION

• Tunisia has achieved much success in its transition but Saied’s rule
dismantled the process.
• The rights and protections that democracy endows can be
dangerous if a country is not prepared for it.
• The process of democratization in Tunisia is followed by economic
hardships, political factions, corruption and institutional
ineffectiveness.
• ‘We traded a corrupt dictatorship for a corrupt democracy’
• The future of democracy in Tunisia depends on a commitment to
transparency, inclusion, and accountability
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ANY QUESTIONS?

Thank You!
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