Tunisia passes new constitution built of ‘consensus’

[Joe Shlabotnik]

Source: Toronto Star

TUNIS, TUNISIA—After decades of dictatorship and two years of arguments and compromises, Tunisians on Sunday finally had a new constitution laying the foundations for a new democracy.

The document is groundbreaking as one of the most progressive constitutions in the Arab world — and for the fact that it got written at all. It passed late Sunday by 200 votes out of 216 in the Muslim Mediterranean country that inspired uprisings across the region after overthrowing a dictator in 2011.

“This constitution, without being perfect, is one of consensus,” assembly Speaker Mustapha Ben Jaafar said after the vote. “We had today a new rendezvous with history to build a democracy founded on rights and equality.”

The new constitution sets out to make the North African country of 11 million people a democracy, with a civil state whose laws are not based on Islamic law, unlike many other Arab constitutions. An entire chapter of the document, some 28 articles, is dedicated to protecting citizens’ rights, including protection from torture, the right to due process, and freedom of worship. It guarantees equality between men and women before the law and the state commits itself to protecting women’s rights.

Read more: http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/01/27/tunisia_passes_new_constitution_built_of_consensus.html

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Well done Tunisia.

[JDPriestly]

1. Sounds good from that article.

Details are everything, of course.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

2. Of course.

However considering the sliding scale of outcomes involving popular uprisings in the middle east since then, the fact that they could compromise at all and come up a progressive charter is pretty impressive.

[JDPriestly]

7. Sure is.

[Enthusiast]

3. This is wonderful!

I hope they make a go of it.

[DebJ]

4. Cool! Thanks for posting something positive; no doubt the MSM will ignore this. n/t

[cosmicone]

5. My best wishes for a long lasting and prosperous Tunisian republic. n/t

[BelgianMadCow]

6. A First! And finally one of the "springs" that doesn't get co-opted.

Brilliant news, thanks for highlighting it.

[valerief]

8. Does this mean the US will start a war with Tunisia? You know, to bring

democracy/unfettered capitalism.

[Sand Wind]

9. The US State Department is a strong ally of Tunisia.nt

The Pentagon too.

[valerief]

11. Good. No war there. nt

[adirondacker]

10. Tunisia is one of the countries on my bucket list to visit.

A best friend, who is well traveled, claims it as his favorite place to visit. The people are extremely welcoming, congenial, and fun to hang out with.

[pampango]

12. Juan Cole: Why Tunisia’s Transition to Democracy is Succeeding while Egypt Falters

On Sunday, Tunisia’s parliament will vote on the final text of the new constitution. If it passes by a two-thirds vote, the text will not have to go to a national referendum, but just would become the organic law of the country. The constitution guarantees equal rights for women and wants gender equity in elections, and does not explicitly mandate Islamic law or sharia.

In contrast, Egypt has been a roller coaster ride. ... What explains the different outcomes?

1. The army stayed above the fray in Tunisia. In Egypt it repeatedly intervened, helping destabilize the country. The government Egypt has today, 3 years after the Tahrir revolution, was simply appointed by the officer corps, though further elections are promised.

2. The religious Right in Tunisia was cautious. Disciplined by neighboring Algeria’s decade-long civil war, al-Nahda avoided deeply polarizing moves. It gave up on putting sharia or Islamic law in the constitution. It allowed a middle class pushback against inroads against women’s rights. It agreed to step down in favor of a technocrat after last summer’s assassination.

4. The secularists in Tunisia did not demand a ban on the al-Nahda religious government. Those in Egypt did. Egypt’s attempt to exclude the Muslim Brotherhood altogether from social and political power has caused constant demonstrations.

http://www.juancole.com/2014/01/transition-democracy-succeeding.html

As Cole describes, Tunisia has had a rocky road from 2011 to today as one would expect in a quick transition from dictatorship to democracy.

Tunisia will have many more crises in the next few years but they deserve congratulations at this point.

[Sand Wind]

13. It's a thought road now in the economic field, really not easy, and a lot

Of insecurity, criminal everywhere, you cannot leave your home empty.

But hope is still there.

more reasons of the differences between Egypt and Tunisia :

There is no real minority in Tunisia.

There is really some strong civilian's organizations.

It's really a small country.

[eridani]

14. Some features--

Here's just some of what these brave elected representatives agreed upon in the face of strong pressure from the more extreme factions of their parties:

--Guaranteed equality between men and womenA constitutional mandate for environmental protection, only the third country in the world to do so
--A declaration that health care is a human right, with preventative care and treatment for every citizenA democracy with civil laws that respects freedom of religion
--An established right to due process and protection from torture

In one stroke, Tunisia's become more democratic than many Western countries have been for years.

This is a revolution of democracy and a great victory for human rights — and the more we recognize that, the more Tunisia can shine as an example for the Western and the Arab world!