Tunisia: the bright spot

Maia Blume, a master’s student at SAIS, writes:

Carnegie Endowment hosted a discussion Wednesday with Rached Ghannouchi, co-founder of Tunisia’s Ennahda Party, moderated by Marwan Muasher, vice president of the Carnegie Endowment and former Foreign Minister of Jordan.

Muasher sees Tunisia as the one bright spot in the region.  It now has the most pluralistic, democratic and progressive constitution in the Arab world. Compromise is critical to progress, and Tunisia’s various political factions have succeeded in overcoming their differences. It should be recognized as a model for the Arab world. Ghannouchi himself helped steer his party toward compromise, as Ennahda relinquished control of the government in order to pave the way for passage of the constitution. The role of religion in politics has not yet been decided, and Tunisia is facing mounting economic challenges, but its progress thus far should not be understated.

Ghannouchi said the Tunisian model has proven that democracy can be realized around the world.  Fundamentalism only leads to chaos and destruction. The cost of giving up is less than showing patience for the democratic process to take hold. Countries in the region need time to become accustomed to democracy after decades of despotism and tyranny. Because of the Tunisian commitment to the process, the constitution has gained the widest possible consensus.

For Ghannouchi, there are no contradictions between Islam and democracy. Islamists in Tunisia are at the forefront of defending rights to freedom of religion, equality and justice. Ennahda has long supported the goals of unity and coexistence, which are needed for stability and democracy, as evidenced by its coalition with two secular parties. It was also willing to give up its control of the government to avoid the risk of losing the revolution. These actions were contrary to what people expected.  Fears of Ennahda retaining ultimate control in Tunisia were entirely unfounded.

Ennahda’s goal of gaining power during the transitional period was to create a constitution and move toward elections. This process requires consensus and national unity in order to be successful. A neutral government is needed to supervise elections so there can be no accusations that they are not free and fair. Ennahda made the decision to leave the government after the national dialogue, in accordance with a roadmap agreed with civil society, which acted as an intermediary between the people and government in forming consensus.

The constitution is supposed to be a document that connects all Tunisians. It is a vision for the future of Tunisia that should protect the rights of all citizens. It also effectively combines the values of Islam and modernity.  Tunisia now calls on its friends to support the current government financially, because the success of Tunisia is a success for democracy. International support will help ensure successful elections and the birth of democracy.

While Ennahda will be a front-runner in the next elections, the government should not be led by one party. Tunisia needs leadership with more than a 51% majority.  The lesson of Tunisia is that a coalition government with the main parties in the country is needed to strengthen democracy and institutions.  The social situation in Tunisia is very different than in other countries, and each society has its own needs. Tunisia can positively influence other Arab countries because of their similarities, but in the end each must forge their own path.

In response to a question about Syria, Ghannouchi said that the main problem is that the opposition elites have failed to reach consensus among themselves. The Tunisian elite had confrontations and difficulties along the way, but they succeeded in coming together. He also noted that geopolitics contribute to the differences. The Arab spring has achieved something very important:  Arabs have discovered that tyrants are not so strong, people have discovered their energy, and it is not possible to move backward. Assad’s regime therefore has no future.

Salafists should not all be grouped into one category. Some use violence and others do not. There are three Salafi parties in Tunisia that are recognized by the government, because they do not use violence. The role of the government is to implement justice, provide services, and ensure security.  When groups use violence, they are classified as terrorists. The extremists in Tunisia are in the poorest areas.  Imams need to step up and teach people that Islam is not violent, or anti-democratic or anti-woman. Islam is about justice and mercy.  The young extremists are victims of lack of knowledge.

Ennahda has not yet decided whether or not it will put forward a candidate for president, but Ghannouchi expects it will not.

Women’s rights are an important issue in Tunisia, and part of the country’s democratic model. Amel Azouz, an Ennahda member of the constituent assembly, said that women’s issues are used by other political parties to attack Ennahda, but the party’s goal is to bring both men and women into all elements of public and private life. She then referenced different sections of the constitution, which state that all Tunisian citizens, men and women, have the same guarantees of  equal rights and freedom.

Egypt is the leader of the Arab countries, Ghannouchi said.  Changing the political landscape there is not easy. This is the price Egyptians must pay for democracy. Liberating Egypt is liberating the whole region. He pointed out that the Morsi government made many mistakes, but the Egyptian elites have failed to reach consensus. In democracy, mistakes cannot justify a coup d’etat; mistakes should be corrected through elections.

Tunisia has limited natural resources.  Its primary resource is human capital. The citizens benefit from high education and a strong middle class. Guaranteeing democracy in Tunisia is the key to economic development. When Ennahda came to power, the country was experiencing 2% negative growth, but now Tunisia’s GDP growth is at 3%.  The situation is still very complicated, but it is correct to be optimistic for Tunisia and the region.