Another revolution in Tunisia?
The struggle for democracy
The Arab spring has taken everyone by surprise. Tunisians took a stand against dictatorship and asked for their basic rights. Rights that most people in modern democracies take for granted had to be earned by bloodshed, pain and sorrow. The Tunisian people led the way by making all of this happen in a record time. Protestors died, people who were brave enough to die for their enlightened ideas and legitimate dreams, Martyrs. At the time, never was our nation so determined, focused and unified for the sole purpose of achieving the democracy dream.
The regime has fallen. People began expressing themselves like they never imagined they would in their lifetimes. Protests spread all around the country. Long story short, it led to the 2011 Tunisian Constituent Assembly elections. Most parties who got a place in the assembly promised that they will finish their duties in a maximum period of one year. A major coalition of the three leading parties called “Troika” got the majority in the assembly and formed their government.
The struggle for a better and improved Tunisia that lives up to the crowds’ expectations continued. Major diversions took place.The US embassy attacks, calls for Al Sharia in the constitution, terrorist attacks on the borders amongst countless other disturbing events. Even worse the political “leaders” chosen by the people were displaying a behavior that doesn’t fit any respectable politician. Amateur politicians that’s what we got. As an old saying we have says (as translated from Arabic to English):
Learning to shave on the heads of orphans
In this case the Tunisian people was the unfortunate orphan that will suffer the consequences of their leaders’ actions/learning experiment.
Just when you say “Could it get any worse?”, it does! The first political assassination of one of the opposition leaders. Chokri Belaid. I remember as we got the news when I was in class in university. It was a major shock for us Tunisians as we almost never witnessed such assassinations in our history, not even under Ben Ali’s regime. A national funeral was held with thousands of protesters/participants who chanted anti-regime slogans all the way to the cemetery where he was buried. He was considered a martyr.
Funeral of Chokri Belaid
Credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/79536904@N03/8457075444/
Opposition got in talks with the “Torika” and agreed on a national consensus to get out of the political crisis mainly by changing the government which was still held and controlled by the ruling coalition.
Things got back to normal. Economy continued it’s free fall. Inflation, social unrest, terrorist attacks on the borders and a kind of hopelessness reigned over the people who were fed up with politics and the amateur politicians that never ceased to find ways to prove their incompetence. Quite frankly, they were the laughing stock of the people.
Less than six months later and on the Republic Day another horrific assassination took place. This time it was yet another opposition leader. Mohamed Brahmi. 14 shots were fired at him in front of his home leading to death from internal hemorrhage. Another shock that trembled every home in Tunisia.
Large crowds at the funeral of Mohamed Brahmi
Credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nystagmus/9377337695/in/photostream/
He was honored as a martyr with a national funeral that was protected by the military and with the participation of thousands of people. Calls against the regime began rising on social media and on the streets. Public opinion is now split into two camps: Anti-regime and pro-regime.
The activist Brahmi protesting. He is the second guy from the left.
Credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nystagmus/6778133771
For the first time the opposition took a stand by supporting the young people who started a sit-in at Bardo in front of the Tunisian National Assembly headquarters. Anti-regime protests all around the country were being reported. More than 55 deputies out of the 217 suspended their activities in the assembly. In response the government and “Troika” held their stance and repeatedly played their legitimacy card. Disappointing so-called speeches were made by the prime minister and the president. They continued defending themselves and their institutions with a blind stubbornness even with the countless failures they are responsible for or are at least partially responsible for. One of their more recent failures is the multiple assaults by the police against the peaceful protestors. Assaults ranged from excessive teargas use to selective police brutality against whom ever was on the anti-regime side. Not even the elected deputies were safe from this as two or more of them suffered from serious injuries because of the brutality of unjustified police interventions.
Two political assassinations in less than 6 months. As if it can’t get any worse? Right? Well unfortunately it did. Again. Two days later. Nine soldiers were slaughtered on the borders in a terrorist ambush in the Chambi mountain. This was an even greater shock. Tunisia is a peaceful country. Never in our contemporary history did we witness such horrible actions taken against our army. The event further inflamed the situation. Although this impacted most if not all citizens who expressed their condemnation of such attacks, both pro-regime and anti-regime parties remained persistent on their position. Protests on both sides are growing as I write this post.
The supporters of the regime are now continuing there same old calls for legitimacy with multiple allegations of conspiracy theories. By the way, I think we are the only country in the world where country officials make such wide use of conspiracy theories. Either be it accusations of a coup-d’état being prepared against them or foreign parties seeking their destruction, we heard it all from these “politicians”.
A protestor raising the Tunisian flag at Bardo
Credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nystagmus/9389177818/
Bardo was divided into two halves, with the one half occupied by pro-regime protestors and the other dominated by anti-regime protestors who are mainly calling for a government of technocrats and for the fall of the elected assembly and its replacement by a committee of experts tasked with the completion of the constitution.
The anti-government protestors at Bardo.
Credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nystagmus/9389148558
We are living in a situation that is radically different from Egypt’s yet Bardo is transforming into the Tahrir Square of Tunisia’s new potential revolution. In spite of the underestimation of the ruling parties in face of the somewhat widespread manifestations, things are evolving at a steady pace. Tunisia’s economical, security and political situation can’t handle more disruptions. We are all on the brink of collective failure but each party remains relentless in making their stance and rightfully so we will continue our struggle for democracy.
