Friday
April 19th, 2013
Tunisia—
Struggle
for Dignity
The path
to democracy is not easy; for that much, Tunisia can attest.
After the
dramatic events that unfolded in February of 2013, the country appears to be
back on a positive and peaceful track towards democracy.
The mass
protests following the assassination of leftist politician Chokri Belaid jolted
the country, creating the worst unrest since 2011; fears of total upheaval and greater
instability quickly followed within the region and among its people (NY Times).
Yet, once again, Tunisia continues to endure, surviving the latest crises.
The
country’s legacy of democratic institutions has allowed Tunisia such endurance.
Escaping mostly unscathed from the Arab Spring, it is arguably the country’s
greatest hope for the future as well. Because its citizenry and elected
officials respect the legitimacy of these institutions and trust in its
processes, transitions of power can occur peacefully (Al Jazeera). Ali
Laarayedh’s transition to Prime Minister provides a vital example.
After
accepting his proposed coalition government “for all Tunisians,” Laarayedh was
confirmed as the official Prime Minister by President Marzouki and the
Constituent Assembly in mid-March (Foreign Policy). The new coalition promised
to preserve the state until elections in the fall. It also served to quell
major uprisings from taking root by calming the country down with promises of
justice for Belaid’s killers and political compromise (Al Jazeera).
While the
state government has noticeably bounced back from its short-lived dance with
disaster, the state of Tunisia’s economy has not. The status quo retained by
the current administration means a continued failure to confront the country’s
greatest challenges—rising unemployment and growing debt crisis. The
combination of a transitional government with an unemployment rate hovering
around 30 percent, means the state’s hopes for a speedy economic recovery
remain drastically unrealistic. Still, Tunisia fights on, currently negotiating
a $1.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) just to stay
afloat (NY Times).
Tunisia’s
struggling economy is not an immediate phenomenon, however; it has been on the
decline since well before the dethroning of Ali in 2011 (Al Jazeera). When the
economy suffers, the people suffer. Rising prices from inflation, a growing
deficit, declining job opportunities means more people are not only unemployed.
More people are homeless, hungry, and desperate. Such conditions spurred the
original “Jasmine Revolution” that rocked the region and jumpstarted the Spring
(Foreign Policy).
Yet, the original grievances of
the Tunisian population remain largely unchanged—people demand basic rights to
work, feed their family, and be sheltered. In other words, the Tunisian
people’s greatest desire is simple; they want dignity.
Conclusion—Dignified Hope
Tunisia's political transition from popular
upheaval has been more peaceful than most of its neighbors, specifically Libya
and Egypt. Its institutions have permitted the country to move forward with
little to no sustained violence or conflict. Its emphasis on constitution
framing, elections, and more institution building is promising to its future. However,
the democratic bellweather’s path is by no means set; these trusted
institutions have to prove their own legitimacy—by finding pragmatic solutions
to ongoing economic challenges. If the country cannot ease the people’s qualms
of dignity, we might just see the
“Birthplace of the Arab Spring” meet its end far too soon.
Sources:
I was feeling so optomistic when I started reading this article. I was thinking that although there might be some challenges, it is nothing they can't overcome. Then came that last sentence, "If the country cannot ease the people’s qualms of dignity, we might just see the “Birthplace of the Arab Spring” meet its end far too soon."
ReplyDeleteThis was a good post and I believe that structuring it to start positive and end with a "possible" negative sentence was a creative way to mimic the situation in Tunisia.
I believe Tunisia's future rests on the Tunisian people's patience. Using the bad economy and high unemployment as a motivator to change governments was inspiring but now the government is only going to last as long as the Tunisian's can stomach being unemployed.
Taking the loan from the IMF was risky because of the strict regulations that come with it. The question now is how is the government going to spend this money. If they spend it on infrastructure and creating jobs, the government could be seen as one of the people. If they spend it on something the people might not see as helping the economy, like the military, then the citizens probably won't believe their government is addressing their most pressing needs.