Freedom first in Tunisia

[adnen hasnaoui]

Freedom first in Tunisia 2008/2014)

I) 1) The situation in Tunisia in 2008

In 2008, the Tunisian government signed the human rights accord, including the additional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women and the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The government also withdrew its reservation to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

What happened was positive. The only concern is that the chief aim of the government is to relax world pressure, especially because the elections of 2009 are soon approaching.

There is also a concern that the political reform process will be interrupted because of the absence of a strong will on the part of the government. The repetition of the official discourse concerning the advance of economic rights in order to obtain international funding, shows that after 21 years of the presidency of Ben ALI, there is still only discussion about the hope of the citizens to get his rights. The current risk is that rising generations will indulge in useless internal conflicts, as seen in the rise of religious extremism and the events of the mining basin in Gafsa.

Why isn't there any progress on public freedom? Shouldn't the state implement laws that it issues? Is freedom a donation? It is our right. The regime should serve the nation which is the source of its sovereignty. It should grant freedom of the press, independence of the judiciary, transparency in the election, and equality before the law without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, political inclination, regional origin, social class, or family status. It should fight terrorism through justice, and respect human rights.

We don't want more promises after 21 years of Ben Ali's Presidency.

2) The problem

The role of some papers close to the government in Tunisia in disseminating and promoting the ideology of religious extremism and terrorism by providing free support and propaganda to terrorist movements.

These days, certain pro-government papers in Tunisia provide free propaganda to the terrorist movement. Instead of publishing news about the progress of the Syrian- Israeli negotiations, promoting regional and international understanding, it is only talking about the triumph of "Hezbollah" and news about "Hamas". It doesn't criticize in any way the performance of the Tunisian government. We note since the beginning of 2008 a similar pattern, as in 1979/1987 in promoting the salafist movement. The result of this was the rise of the Islamic movement "Annahda". Now, with this step backward, the citizen is consuming a media product which is similar to the one presented in the curricula of Taliban scrolls. With this attitude, it is acting against the stipulation of the law to fight terrorism issued in December 2003 and the Universal Declaration of Fundamental Principles Concerning the contribution of the media to support world peace and understanding, boost human rights, and fight racism, discrimination, and incitement to war. It is true that the government has made major and positive efforts to fight international terrorism, but it has also used this issue to justify violation of human rights, especially of political opponents.

II) Reform from the perspective of a liberal

1) The strategic objectives

1.1) Building a state of law and institutions

Procedure;

•Reduction of the wide powers of the president

• Separation of powers

• Separation of the party (RCD) and the state

1.2) Reforming the opposition

• Changing the laws governing the funding of the opposition party and press

• Assisting the process of self-criticism for the development of realistic programs

1.3) Cultural change and creation of public opinion to generate the will for freedom.

• Promoting a culture of peace, the principles of human rights, and the values of democracy and freedom.

III ) Program of Action (2009/2014)

1) In defense and foreign policy• The commitment to the non-proliferation of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, and to combating terrorism and countering the threat of non-conventional terrorism.

Objectives

•The restructuring of the armed forces, the abolition of conscription and the building of a professional army.

• Revitalization the partnership with NATO and increasing participation with the UN peacekeeping forces.

• Commitment to the foundations of foreign policy in Tunisia and to conventions ratified by all governments since independence.

2) the field of legislation

General principle:

• Because the constitution is created by the people, for the people, to protect order, justice, and freedom for coming centuries, it isn't made to serve one man even if he may have an important level in the nation.

• Because the 1959 constitution gave broad powers to the president, and because the correction of 2002 harmed the principle of his national accountability, my correctional point of view is to work toward limiting the broad scope of the president's power and to ensure a constitutional separation between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

• Laws cannot change unless to ensure greater rights towards the instruments and international covenants of universal human rights, as issued by the United Nations.

3) In security policy

Objectives

• The structural separation between public and political security, the latter serving as the national security apparatus composed of state security and guidance, the National guard, and military intelligence to protect security, fight terrorism, and ensure respect for the constitution, the rule of law, and the implementation of the provisions of the supreme court.

• This national security apparatus is under the leadership of the president, and if he is convicted by the Supreme Court, the chief of staff of the three armies automatically becomes the head of the National Security Council until the election of the new president. Also he must work with the chief minister, or the house speaker, towards organizing the presidential elections.

He would be , until the election of the president, in charge of protecting the internal and external security, and would not enjoy the powers of the Supreme Commander of the armed forces, which is the prerogative of the prime minister or the speaker of the house, until the end of the period stipulated by the constitution to elect the president.

•Fight petty crime with more efficiency and promote public safety.

• Develop a program to train the security forces in scientific and technical methods in the investigation of crimes, with the complete abolition of torture.

4) In the independence of the judiciary and oversight

General principle

Transparency, equality toward the law and accountability.

Objectives

• The transformation of the Constitutional Council into the Constitutional Court.

•The abolition of the Presidency of the Supreme Court of Magistracy and the adoption of free and direct election as the only access to the membership of the council.

• The establishment of the Supreme Court to consider the process of accusing the President of high treason, corruption, or changing the constitution in order to establish a system based on ethnic, religious, or any form of discrimination.

• The development of financial control and management, and the abolition of all forms of interference by the executive power to block justice with impunity.

• Relying only on free and direct election of electors from every state of the republic to occupy the office of Regional Council or the office of the Magistrate.

5) In economic development:

Objectives

•Progress in globalization

•A rapprochement based on an increase in quality production, the protection of economic and social rights, and fighting corruption.

• Reviewing professional ethics and existing laws to ensure the quality of services in accordance with international standards.

• Restructuring the health system in order to improve the quality of services in accordance with intentional standards.

• Restructuring the health system in order to improve the quality of health services and to narrow the gap between regions, to ensure the rights of women and the poor.

6) The field of education, culture and information

General principle

The Universal Principle of Human Rights should become the law itself, in practice, in culture, and in the fight against intolerance and terrorism.

Objectives

Scrapping the penal chapter from the Press Code.

Adnen hasnaoui

[Nick de Cusa]

La plupart des lecteurs ici lisent l'anglais mais pour un impact optimal sur un site francophone, si vous avez une version en Français, langue largement usitée en Tunisie, pourquoi ne pas plutôt afficher celle là?

[Hakill]

Encore un pur produit du régime Ben Ali qui veut tuer le père.