Despite problems, Tunisia progresses

In the birthplace of the Arab Spring compromise has achieved more than confrontation.

Tuesday will mark the third anniversary of the ousting of Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and the deadline for the approval of that country’s constitution in the lead-up to fresh elections. The toppling of Mr Ben Ali was seen as the first victory in the Arab Spring. And while Tunisia’s transition to democratic rule has not always been smooth, and is still not assured, the country stands as an exemplar among the Arab Spring nations.

Much of the credit for this goes to Ennahda, the Islamist party which won elections in 2011 but has agreed to stand aside in the interest of national consensus. Unlike in Egypt, where the Muslim Brotherhood alienated many of those who initially supported it, leading to the removal of president Mohammed Morsi, Ennahda has made concessions – sometimes willingly, sometimes less so – on its own agenda to allow the formation of a draft constitution that is acceptable to its rivals and to the majority of Tunisians.

On Friday, following the appointment of an independent authority to oversee elections, Mehdi Jomaa took office as caretaker prime minister. He has vowed to appoint a cabinet of non-partisan technocrats to run the country until an election can be held under the new constitution, which will guarantee individual rights including gender equality. This follows the establishment last year of a “truth and dignity” body to compensate those who suffered under the Ben Ali regime. Compromises have been made on all sides, but many challenges remain.

The national unemployment rate still stands at 15 per cent, and as high as 30 per cent among youth, and economic growth has stalled; many of the poor still feel marginalised and public protests have continued, most recently about the introduction of new taxes. There has also been sporadic violence, including the assassination of opposition parliamentarian Mohamed Brahmi, in July last year, which stalled political negotiations for months.

There is clearly a long way to go in Tunisia, but the political forecast is overwhelmingly brighter than in other countries that have had popular uprisings in the past three years. Bloody civil war persists in Syria, Libya remains on the brink and Egypt is struggling to find a way forward. By achieving true, inclusive dialogue, Tunisia has succeeded, so far, where others have stumbled, and for that it deserves credit.