TIME: Almanac 1993/TIME Almanac 1993.iso/time/world/t/tunsia.2a

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                                                                                History


   Tunisians are descended mainly from indigenous Berber tribes
and from Arab tribes which migrated to North Africa during the
seventh century AD. Recorded history in Tunisia begins with the
arrival of Phoenicians, who founded Carthage and other North
African settlements. Carthage was defeated by Romans (146 AD),
who ruled North Africa until their defeat by tribesmen (fifth
century) from Europe. In the seventh century, the Muslim
conquest transformed North Africa, and Tunisia became a center
of Arab culture until its assimilation in the Turkish Ottoman
Empire in the 16th century.

   In 1881, France established a protectorate there, only to
see a rise of nationalism lead to Tunisia's independence in
1956. A leader of this movement was Habib Bourguiba, Tunisia's
president from independence in 1956 until his removal by the
current president, Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, in 1987.

   During the early years of independence, a series of tensions
existed between France and Tunisia, which were finally resolved
after France withdrew from its naval base in Bizerte in 1962.
In 1964, Tunisia nationalized foreign interests, and relations
with France deteriorated again. Close cooperation was
reestablished in 1968. Since then, France has extended important
economic credits and established many technical assistance
programs in Tunisia.


Political Conditions

   The Tunisian republic was established in 1957 with Bourguiba
as president. Elections followed promulgation of Tunisia's
constitution in June 1959. President Bourguiba was unopposed,
and legislative candidates, backed by the Neo-Destour Party and
affiliated labor and professional groups, met only token
opposition. In October 1964, the Neo-Destour Party was renamed
the Destourian Socialist Party (PSD). In 1974, Bourguiba was
named president-for-life through a constitutional amendment.
Legislative elections in 1981 marked the return of legal
opposition parties, but the PSD swept all seats. The ruling
party demonstrated its entrenched position by again sweeping
legislative elections in 1986 and 1989 and was renamed the
Constitutional Democratic Party (RCD) by Ben Ali in 1988. Over
time, party and state functions have fused. The RCD has no
rigid ideology. Its members are expected to reflect public
opinion. Internal party debate can be lively, but initiative for
policy changes comes from the top.

   On assuming power in 1987, President Ben Ali moved to defuse
tensions which had built up during the last years of
Bourguiba's reign. Ben Ali began to address some human rights
issues by releasing political prisoners and abolishing special
state security courts. He also started a process of
democratization.

   According to the constitution as amended in 1988, the
president of the republic is chief of state. He is elected for
a 5-year term and permitted to run for two additional terms.
The president has full responsibility for determining national
policy, and presidential bills have priority before the Chamber
of Deputies. The president may govern by decree when the
Chamber is not in session.

   In the presidentially appointed cabinet, the prime minister
is responsible for executive policy and succeeds the president
in the case of death or disability. Tunisia's 141-member
unicameral Chamber of Deputies is elected concurrently with the
president and meets twice a year.

   The constitution does not prohibit opposition parties, but
the government has approved only six other political parties.
These parties and all other major political forces -- including
Islamic fundamentalists -- signed Ben Ali's 1988 National Pact,
which set out secular, pluralist political rules.

   Among other liberalizing gestures, Ben Ali advanced
presidential and legislative elections from 1991 to 1989. He
won the presidential election unopposed, and the ruling party
swept all seats in the Chamber of Deputies. Candidates of the
unrecognized Islamic fundamentalist Hizb An-Nahda (Renaissance
Party) garnered an average of 18% of the vote in districts they
contested as independents. Despite Hizb An-Nahda's apparent
popularity, the government continued to deny it legal status in
1990, partly owing to grave doubts that An-Nahda truly accepts
a pluralist, secular political system.

   Although national elections are governed by a
winner-take-all electoral code, the government introduced
modified proportional representation for 1990 municipal
elections. Opposition parties boycotted these elections to
protest what they saw as overbearing RCD control of the process.
Opposition parties also claim that the cumbersome voter
registration system has disenfranchised a large portion of the
electorate.

   Trade unions played a key role in Tunisia's struggle for
independence. Indeed, the assassination of Tunisian labor
leader Ferhat Hached in 1952 was catalyst for the final push
against the French. The General Union of Tunisian Workers (UGTT)
had a decisive political presence during the first two decades
of the republic. In 1978, and again in 1984-85, Bourguiba
cracked down on the UGTT. Arrests of the UGTT leaders and
ruling-party takeover of union locals left the UGTT moribund
until Ben Ali's accession to power. Ben Ali encouraged a revival
of the UGTT. Despite a drop in union membership from 400,000 to
perhaps 250,000 as the structure of the economy changed, the
UGTT resumed a prominent place in political and social affairs
after its extraordinary congress in 1989.

   Tunisia is a leader in the Arab world in the promotion of
equal status for women under the law. Polygamy was prohibited
in 1957. Tunisian women enjoy full civil and political rights.
The government supports an active family-planning program.

   Tunisia's judiciary is headed by the Court of Cassation,
whose judges are appointed by the president.

   The country is divided administratively into 23
governorates. The president appoints all governors.


Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs,
        February 1987.