President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali gives interview to the Associated Press

20 February 2004

Question1 :

Mr. President, What are the dimensions and significances of your visit to the United States of America? Are the Tunisian-American relations, which are usually described as excellent, up to your expectations and aspirations, especially in the economic field?

President Ben Ali : My visit to the United States of America, with which Tunisia has deep-rooted, excellent and ever-growing relations of friendship aims to further consolidate these relations based on mutual confidence and respect as well as on a common belief in the values and principles of democracy, justice, freedom and peace.

Besides, this visit comes as part of our common determination to develop and enrich cooperation between the two countries in order to serve the interests of both parties and make of this cooperation an example to follow.

Over the last period, the Tunisian-American relations have known a remarkable development, reflected through the increasingly intensive exchange of visits between the two countries' officials and the diversity of cooperation projects established between Tunisia and the United States. This confirms our common desire to promote and elevate these ties to the level of a strategic relationship, by further enhancing economic and commercial cooperation and reinforcing the opportunities of American investment in Tunisia, especially that the perfect bonds of friendship and cooperation between Tunisia and the United States have not been established recently but are rather deeply rooted in history. Moreover, the agreements concluded between the two countries, the legislations, incentives and financial and fiscal facilitations Tunisia offers to foreign investors, the strategic location of our country, and the seriousness characterizing the Tunisian people, are all factors which constitute an optimum platform to make a quantum leap in our bilateral cooperation and to ensure its success. We also have to explore new fields of exchange and to open up wider, deeper and richer future prospects.

In addition to the promotion of bilateral cooperation, the international issues that are of common concern, in the forefront of which the issue of peace in the Middle-East and the questions of development, peace and security in the world, are among the themes of the comprehensive and profound dialogue we look forward to having with President George W. Bush and American officials.

Question2 :

Tunisia is often cited as a model of socio-economic development. However, some international human rights organizations reproach it for not having made major strides in the field of democracy and freedom of expression. How do you intend to make up for this delay? And what are the priorities of the coming period as regards the consolidation of public liberties?

President Ben Ali : To start with, I would like to point out that there is no delay in the field of establishing democracy and freedom of expression in Tunisia, premised on the fact that the edification of each democratic society parallels the action for comprehensive development. These are two processes which we have keen on moving forward with all determination and steadfastness, without giving preference to one over the other. We, therefore, based our policy upon an approach where civil and political rights correlate with social, economic and cultural rights. For we believe that Man's dignity can be preserved only by providing the conditions of a decent life, including the consecration of the right to healthcare, education, employment and housing, the protection of the family, children and women, and the promotion of needy and supportless social categories, while guaranteeing the freedom of expression and of political and associative organization and consolidating democracy and pluralism. Indeed, the socio-economic development could never have been achieved had it not been for the great importance we attach to the citizens' opinion and for the high status we accord to their dignity and the inviolability of their rights.

We have adopted a gradual approach in establishing the democratic and pluralist edifice, in order to protect it against any setbacks. Besides, we have taken into consideration the failure of other countries' experiences, and the dangers posed by religion-masked trends which threatened our society's stability and development.

In the field of human rights, we have made major strides, which we cannot perhaps enumerate in this limited space, and established institutions and mechanisms to preserve these rights, in accordance with a comprehensive and coherent vision.

Tunisia has indeed made important steps in the field of democracy and freedom of expression, the fact which led to the consecration of pluralism for the first time in the history of the Chamber of Deputies in 1994, and to its consolidation in the 1999 legislative elections.

In Tunisia, freedom of expression is a tangible reality, and the public debate is free. The pluralist climate ensures for all citizens the right to express their opinions and stances in all liberty. The Opposition exercises all its rights. It suffices, in this regard, to read the Opposition press, which is offered considerable public grants, to be sure that there is no government's hold on the information sector and the freedom of expression. Moreover, the audiovisual landscape is free, and the public radio and TV stations are open to all trends. This audio-visual sector is now open to the private sector, and a private radio station and a private TV station have been established.

Still, despite all that has been achieved in Tunisia, which since 1987 has become the country of rights and values, as testified by impartial and honest observers, we are aware that a lot remains to be done, and are determined to pursue our action to further consolidate and preserve our achievements in the field of public liberties.

The coming period is indeed of major importance in consolidating the foundations of our achievements in terms of economic growth and social promotion, and in reinforcing comprehensive and balanced development. It is also a promising period to further corroborate the rule of law and to further disseminate the values of freedom, justice and human rights.

We undertook a constitutional reform as the basis for the elevation of the Tunisian experience to a new status and for the promotion of our political system. The reform, which covered half of the Constitution's articles, aimed at deepening the sense of democracy and pluralism, by consolidating the institutions of the Republic and reinforcing their representativeness, by widening popular representation through the establishment of a second legislative chamber in addition to the Chamber of Deputies, by establishing new mechanisms for the Parliament's control over the Government's work, by fostering plurality in presidential candidacies, through the establishment of the system of two-round elections, and by consecrating the people's right to choose their country's leader.

The reform reflects our conviction as to the importance of protecting liberties and human rights in their universality, and our belief in their fundamental place in the political, social, economic and cultural process.

All this, in fact, defines the priorities of the coming period and what we are expected to achieve in the future, namely, offering the future generations a modern political system that preserves the republic, consolidates its values and institutions, and consecrates democracy, pluralism and human rights.

Question 3 :

The presidential and legislative elections will be the most important political event in 2004. Lately, you have introduced constitutional reforms which have been criticized by the Opposition, considering them amendments that serve the interests of certain parties at the expense of others. What is your position regarding these criticisms?

President Ben Ali : Through the latest constitutional reforms, which took into consideration several amendments proposed by the deputies representing the Opposition, we have been keen to make sure the coming elections constitute a new opportunity to anchor the democratic and pluralist process, and reflect the maturity and progress achieved by our political life, which are, in fact, one facet of our development in all fields.

On that basis, and as I stated earlier, we have worked to anchor plurality in presidential candidacies, while ensuring seriousness of candidacies to the highest office. This is now clearly guaranteed by law. We have also enlarged the possibility of candidacy for the coming presidential election. A constitutional law was enacted to further relax the requirements for candidacy to the presidency of the republic.

Moreover, we have been keen on ensuring the transparency of elections. The Electoral Code, which has been amended, ensures further neutrality on the part of the administration and reinforces the transparency of the election process. The role of observers in all stages of this process, during the voting operation and during the counting of votes, has been fostered. We have entrusted the Constitutional Council with the task of supervising the process of presidential and legislative elections in all its stages, after we have enlarged the powers of this Council and reinforced the neutrality and independence of its members, in such a way as to offer all constitutional guarantees for those elections. We have already stressed that the coming elections will be an opportunity in which we will offer all appropriate conditions for all sisterly and friendly countries who wish to follow them.

All this clearly reflects our will and determination to make sure the election process contributes to consecrating the democratic practice and to ensure its credibility, which will reinforce our gains in the process of fostering pluralism.

We believe that political parties are now called upon to act in a context of fair competition, after we have improved their conditions of action, and offered them all they need to assert their presence and express their views in all liberty, so that they can assume their role while practicing their right to difference and their freedom of opinion and choice.

Question 4 :

Tunisia has continuously played an active diplomatic role in settling the Arab-Israeli conflict through peaceful means. You are playing the same active role at the regional level for the establishment of the Maghreb Union. Despite all the efforts exerted, the regional Maghreb integration is stagnant, because of the conflict between Morocco and Algeria over the issue of the Western Sahara. What solution do you see to this conflict? And what is the role that Tunisia can play in this regional issue?

President Ben Ali : Committed to the United Nations principles and objectives, Tunisia has always supported all UN efforts to establish security and peace all over the world. Indeed, disseminating peace and security in the world and consolidating the mechanisms of cooperation, partnership and solidarity are, in our view, among the most important challenges currently posed on the international scene.

Dialogue, cooperation and solidarity are values and principles firmly-established in our culture and policy, which we have constantly endeavored to consecrate on the international scene, in order for peace, entente and harmony to be established in international relations.

On that basis, our country has always asserted that peace is the strategic choice to settle the Middle-East question and to bring to an end this chronic dilemma. We have supported all efforts exerted by the international community and by the parties concerned directly with negotiations, in order to achieve a comprehensive, just and durable settlement and, therefore, allow all the peoples of the region to live in security and peace. We believe that the use of force to settle the current conflicts can only feed the feelings of hatred, grudge and violence, and is incompatible with the principles of dialogue, mutual understanding and resort to political means upon which the peace process was established.

Concerning our Maghreb region, we consider that the Maghreb Union is a historical aspiration for our peoples and an irrevocable strategic choice. We strive to enable the Arab Maghreb Union to recover its dynamism and to smooth out the obstacles impeding its progression. In this regard, Tunisia constantly endeavors to improve relations and transcend the current problems and obstacle which, in our view, are only circumstantial.

Insisting on bringing to completion the establishment of the Maghreb edifice, promoting Maghreb bilateral relations and persevering in achieving further complementarity among the Union countries in all fields, can, in our view, help offer solutions to the pending issues, consolidate the stability and development of the Maghreb, and reinforce its position in its regional and international environments.

Question 5 :

Another issue in which the Tunisian diplomacy is said to have played an active role, namely Libya's return to the international community. Have you personally contributed to Libya's decision to forsake its program of producing weapons of mass destruction?

President Ben Ali : Relations between Tunisia and Libya are based on fraternity, solidarity and neighborhood. Since the Change of 1987, these relations have known a strong stimulation in all fields of cooperation. We have been keen to base these ties upon firm grounds and inter-related interests, as well as upon an intensive cooperation in all fields and a consultation in all that can benefit the two countries and reinforce rapprochement between them.

All this is reflected through the regularity of political consultations and the periodicity of officials' meetings at all levels and in all sectors. We are, indeed, aware of our Libyan brothers' consideration for Tunisia's progression in all fields, and of their feelings toward their Tunisian brothers who never hesitate to offer them any service they request; for this is a duty dictated by the requirements of neighborhood, solidarity and fraternity.

While we highly value the Libyan decision to forsake the program of producing weapons of mass destruction, given its positive impact on the process of consolidating security and stability in the region and all over the world, we assert that this audacious and brave decision is indeed a sovereign decision taken by our Libyan brothers of their own free will, a decision which we fully support.

Tunisia, which is always keen on serving security and stability in its regional and international environments, puts its expertise and diplomacy in the service of brotherly and friendly countries and all peace-loving nations, whenever it is asked to do so. The aim is to build a balanced international community and a better and more secure world, one in which all peoples can enjoy freedom, progress and prosperity, and where the value of entente and cooperation prevail over the tendency to conflict and confrontation.