The good and bad Tunisia

Tunisia has been called Africa’s most successful country. In a continent plagued by wars, famine and general instability, it’s one of the few to have thrived in the post-colonial era.

This low-key, mostly Muslim North African nation has a solid economy and a progressive attitude towards women’s rights.

This, along with its moves to rein in fundamentalist Islam has given it a reputation in the West as the ideal, modern Muslim country.

However, things are not all roses. Despite such a modern face, Tunisians are becoming unhappy with their highly strict, authoritarian government.

Tunisia’s history stretches back to ancient times. They were taken over by pretty much every conquering race in the history books including the Phoenicians, the Romans and the Vandals.

Around the 8th Century, the Arabs conquered North Africa, including modern day Tunisia. Under their rule the region became an economic power house of the time. Then from the end of the 19th Century until the 1950s, Tunisia was a French colony.

Tunisia’s present history really started in 1957 when it gained independence from France, and new President Habib Bourguiba enacted a programme of social reforms.

Many of these reforms involved women’s rights. Polygamy was banned. Marriage required the consent of both parties, making forced marriages more difficult. And women were also given to right to divorce.

He also spearheaded huge literacy campaigns, family planning schemes and a state-funded healthcare system.

But his 30-year reign came to an end. In 1987, Bourguiba was rolled by his own Prime Minister Zine El Abidane Ben Ali in a bloodless coup.

Although less of a reformer than Bourguiba, Ben Ali kept Tunisia on the same path, even strengthening some of the laws enacted by his predecessor.

It all sounds rather progressive and modern. But the reality is Tunisia was and remains an authoritarian regime, ranked 141 out of 167 countries in the 2008 Democracy Index, making it less democratic than China.

At one stage, under Bourguiba, Tunisia only had one party, although opposition parties are now allowed.

In Presidential elections, President Ben Ali continues to take the lion’s share of the vote. And while there have been no accusations of ballot stuffing or voter intimidation, Ali’s refuses to allow international election monitoring to take place.

Reporters Without Borders ranks Tunisia’s press as one of the world’s least free. Journalists who have challenged the government have been beaten, imprisoned, sued or threatened. The internet is heavily monitored and certain websites are banned.

Tunisia is on many human rights groups’ watch lists. The government has been taking an extremely hard line on terrorists, but Amnesty International has criticised the country for “arbitrary arrests and detentions, [use of] torture... and unfair trials.”

There is no legal recognition of human rights groups in the country, and activists are placed under surveillance and suffer harassment from the government.

Interestingly, the country’s decision to ban the wearing of the hijab or veil, while praised by many, has led to an outcry from strict Muslims, who say the ban infringes women’s rights.

There is also corruption. The President’s wife’s family has benefitted hugely from the privatisation of state-owned companies.

And stories of the President’s wife using the Presidential jet to make shopping trips to the fashion capitals of Europe are the sort of thing that have fed rebellions elsewhere.

President Ben Ali is in his 70s and this is most likely his last term in office. Rumours are that either his wife or his son-in-law may stand for President at the next elections in 2014 to ensure the family retains their grip on power.

There are signs though that the Tunisian people are not as smitten with Ben Ali as they once were. In the 2009 election he only obtained 89% of the vote – a bit of a come down from the glory days when he captured upwards of 99%. So a victory for a similar-style candidate is not guaranteed.

Tunisia is hardly standing on a knife edge but with Ben Ali coming to the end of his career, change could be on the way for this quiet North African nation.

By Jo Blick

Photo – One of the many posters of President Ben Ali around Tunisia