Tunisia’s center-left Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) has conceded defeat this evening in the weekend’s elections, the first free elections after the ouster of long-time dictator Zine el Abidine bin Ali, with preliminary counting showing the PDP as a solid second place finisher.
But the runaway winners of the vote are the Hezb Ennahda, a moderate Islamist party banned after the hotly disputed 1989 vote and legalized early this year in the wake of bin Ali’s ouster.
The final count isn’t in, and so far it isn’t clear if the Ennahda has enough seats to form a government on its own or if it will require a coalition government. Still, with a new constitution to be written the victory gives them enormous power over the future of Tunisia.
Interestingly, the party’s founder and leader Rashid al-Ghannouchi did not expect anything resembling this sort of victory when he returned from exile, suggesting the party would not seek the presidency and would instead focus on regaining grassroots support lost since their banning. It seems that took a lot less time than they figured.
I keep wondering what these new Islamic governments attitude are going to be towards Israel and the Palestinians, and in particular towards Gaza. So far Egypt's policy towards Gaza has no changed a great deal if at all.
Moderate and Islamist? Really? According to who?
Now people in Tunisia start losing their social freedom.., now they need to understand that democracy and religion is a two diffrent social issues.., religious is about a brutal and framed ideology.., democracy in other hand is an open ideology.., what the western militarism regimes are trying to do is therow everything they got at peoples demand for democracy hopeing for something good comes out of it.., here among other they have supported terrorism against the peoples demand which has been a transparent democracy.., Eygipt is one of them…., these New Religious Regimes are not going to support a Palestinian statehood nor they will help the Palstininas cause.., because they are secterians from a Sunny Muslims traditional.., they never cared about Palestine nor they would have.., if they would.., they wouldent be supported by US or EU militarism regimes.
Jamal does your name means Beautiful?if yes,then your comments are inversely as much ugly.
Just how much did Qatar pay for the victory?
Definitely less than what AIPAC paid for their puppets oppuying Oval House.
So, no longer in Tunisia will every teenage boy in the neighborhood be able to drool over the curve and shape of every woman’s buttock in the neighborhood.
No longer in Tunisia will seducing another man’s wife be the standard for pleasure, and no longer will the hoarding of excessive wealth by the corporate rich look pale in comparison to the immorality of a promiscuous society.
But will the people be better off? Only time will tell.