Opposition in Tunisia 'still young'

Dubai: While the most influential opposition party in Tunisia announced its boycott of the presidential and parliamentary election, a visiting minister defended his country's democratic reform policies.

Dr Zuhair Al Mudhaffar, Administrative Development Minister of Tunisia, told Gulf News that a shift in power structure is not an objective on its own but a way to ensure a peaceful process of handing over power from one party to another as per the choice of the people.

The Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) says it intends to boycott the elections because of what it claims the regime's manipulation of the voting process even before it has begun.

The party said PDP candidates have been declared illegal in 17 electoral districts as they form a threat against ruling party candidates in these constituencies.

President Zine Al Abidine Bin Ali, who has led the country since November 1987, has chosen to stand for a fifth term in office after he altered the constitution.

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Al Mudhaffar urged political parties to utilise the upcoming election this month to reinforce political reforms initiated in the country in 1987 and take part in the political sphere for the benefit of Tunisia.

"The environment is ripe for opposition parties to grow in the country. It is not that the ruling party will abdicate political space for the opposition. Rather, they will have to gain it by winning the hearts and minds of people," Al Mudhaffar said.

"Tunisia's opposition parties are still young and need to convince masses to vote for them. I can't predict that this could happen in 10 or 20 years because it all depends on the programmes of different parties and their ability to attract the support of the electorate to their programmes," the minister said.

Based on the popularity of president Bin Ali and the legitimacy he has won over the period he ruled the country, Al Mudhaffar said the president was likely to win the election with a ‘comfortable majority' that will enable him to rule the country for a fifth term.

Mudhaffar said the unique development model in Tunisia consisted of its balanced approach towards social, economic and political development.

According to new constitutional amendment, the elected chiefs of recognised parties are eligible to run for presidency if they completed two years in their position. Four out of the eight party chiefs were eligible as per the constitution to run for the top post.

PDP leader Ahmad Najeeb Chebbi had already withdrawn in August. He said at the time that the elections would not meet the minimum demands of freedom, integrity and transparency.

Since then, an issue of the Ettarik Al Jadid (The New Way) newspaper has been seized by the authorities. The paper is a mouthpiece for the Ettajdid opposition party, and in the issue seized had published an article about party leader Ahmad Brahim, another of President Bin Ali's opponents.