President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's Interview In Preamble To ''Emerging Tunisia 2003''

Question 1:

Tunisia seems to have undergone significant changes since the Change of November 7th, 1987. What are, according to your excellency, the most important achievements?

From the start, we have based our policy upon the principle of comprehensive reform that achieves complementarity and balance between political, economic and social reforms. This policy rests on a human vision, in terms of premises and objectives, grounded upon the values of solidarity, justice and equality, as well as on the correlation between development, democracy and human rights.

We have based our reforms in the economic field on the principles of efficiency, competitiveness, encouraging free initiative, ensuring rapid growth for the economy, and keeping pace with the requirements of globalization and openness. We have also striven to make sure that our social policies consecrate the values of equality, justice and solidarity, and provide Tunisians with the requirements for a decent life. in this regard, we have consolidated the sectors of health care, housing and education in the framework of the promotion of human resources, and reinforced the citizens' opportunities in employment and social security. We have directed our efforts to the development of all regions and all social categories, and to the achievement of an optimum distribution of the fruits of growth.

Thanks to this policy and to a sense of reform marked by depth, perseverance and comprehensiveness, we have managed to achieve many positive results, while preserving the macro-economic balances. For indeed, the economic reforms have made it possible to further strengthen our economy, to open it onto its international environment and to achieve a respect-worthy annual rate of economic growth equal to 5% over a long period. This has reinforced our economy's exportation capability, created more jobs and led to a significant improvement of the Tunisians' living standard, as shown by the increase of individual income, the reduction of the poverty rate to 4.2% of the total population, and the decrease of the demographic growth rate to 1.1%.

These achievements have been made within a secure social climate achieved thanks to the adoption of social dialogue as an irrevocable choice as well as to the establishment of confidence between all parties and of developed professional relations based on harmony, responsibility and solidarity. A major achievement characterizing this process is that since the change, we have continuously ensured pay increase and asserted the principle of the comprehensiveness of social security. we have, in fact, based our approach on the development of all segments of society and on the optimum distribution of the fruits of growth, in such a way as to contribute to reinforcing stability, consolidating social cohesion and providing optimum conditions for sustainable development.

In the framework of this coherent approach we have adopted to achieve comprehensive growth, we have worked toward the development of the political life. we have indeed offered all citizens the opportunity to contribute to the country's progression, and reinforced the democratic process, pluralism, human rights and fundamental freedoms, by fostering the role of opposition parties, providing for their financing by the state, and enabling them to express their positions and opinions, the fact which has made possible their representation in the chamber of deputies as well as in regional and municipal councils. This in addition to the establishment of the plurality of candidates for the presidency of the republic, and the adoption of several measures fostering increased participation in elections, ensuring the transparency of the election process and consolidating democratic conduct. Other major characteristics marking this process include the reinforcement of the associative fabric and the institutions of civil society as well as the promotion of women's rights, equality with men, and participation in public life.

We will carry on our work and our reforms in a gradual and determined way, while ensuring complementarity between the different aspects of these reforms. We will also direct our attention to the stimulation of efforts for the upgrading of the different sectors of the economy and the development of its capability to integrate within its international environment. Besides, we will work to further modernize the infrastructure, including highways, bridges, interchanges and technological centers, to promote human resources and to allow our country to keep up with the information and communication revolution, so as to reinforce the opportunities for the stimulation of production, exportation and employment.

Today's Tunisia is the country of dialogue, social harmony and pluralism it is the Arab-Muslim country that has eliminated all forms of discrimination against women and it is the country of the rule of law.

Question:

The constitutional reforms made in 2002, which aim to build the republic of tomorrow, comprise three important elements: establishing the system of bicameralism, providing for more control on the work of the government by the parliament, and removing the limitation of the presidential term of office. How will these elements help achieve your asserted objective of reinforcing pluralism in political life?

Answer:

Since the November 7th change, we have opted for democracy and pluralism as a principle and a practice for the edification of our political project. Our country has made major strides on this path.

Today, we initiate a new period for our country, during which we strengthen the foundations of the republican system, reinforce the democratic process, and open up vast opportunities for all the components of civil society to participate in the political life.

The constitutional reform-- to which you referred in your question--constitutes the ground upon which we have established the republic of tomorrow. This reform has accorded human rights and liberties a special status in the text of the constitution. It provides for expanding protection of individual privacy, increasing parliament's control over the work of the government, and creating a second chamber in addition to the chamber of deputies, in order to enrich the legislative function and the political life in general.

Besides, we have tasked the constitutional council with following up the presidential and legislative elections processes in all their stages, after we have expanded the prerogatives of this council and reinforced the impartiality and independence of its members, in such a way as to ensure constitutional guarantees for these elections.

We have already started implementing the provisions of the new text of the constitution, as regards the consecration of the plurality of candidacies for the coming presidential elections or the preparation for the regular review of electoral rolls. The coming period will witness the preparation of the laws related to the council of advisors (second chamber) so that this new constitutional institution completes the foundations of its establishment and holds its status in the republican edification in the coming period. This in addition to preparing for the amendment of the electoral code, so that it constitutes, in its new version, a legislative framework that reinforces our achievements in moving ahead with the pluralist process, a fact reflecting our determination to ensure that the election process be a consecration of democracy, and to guarantee the credibility and transparency of elections at all levels. In this regard, all political parties have been consulted on the subject of this amendment and these parties have submitted their proposals and contributions.

Moreover, in order to make of out information an element that consolidates the edifice of our free and pluralist society, we have worked, over the years of change, to develop our information sector and to promote its function, and to reinforce freedom of opinion and of expression. The press code has, in fact, been amended three times, in such a way as to confer further liberalism on its articles. Other measures have been taken to enhance the opinion press and that of political parties and to provide these parties with material incentives, so that they can promote their role in enriching the national information scene. We have also been keen on enlarging the scope of the forums of pluralist dialogue in the audio-visual media.

Freedom of expression in Tunisia is today guaranteed and protected and we are still stepping up efforts to further diversify the forums of practicing this freedom, so that our information will contribute to stimulating and developing democratic dialogue in the country.

No doubt, all these steps, and other steps that will follow, do constitute a further reinforcement of pluralism in public life they do contribute to fostering the participation of political parties in national work, to enhancing their role and to facilitating their activities. This will enrich the country's political scene, ensure the development of the institutional and republican edification in Tunisia, and firmly establish the foundations of democracy in a country based on the rule of law and on a developed constitution. The new measures will make the coming elections in Tunisia a new opportunity for the participation of all parties, in light of transparency and democratic competition and ethics.

Question

What is the role played by Tunisia in helping reactivate the Arab Maghreb union?

Answer:

Our belief is firm in the unity of the Maghreb peoples. Since the change, we have worked with determination to build the Maghreb edifice. On all occasions, we have asserted our resolve to accelerate the edification process and achieve effective complementarity between our countries, in the framework of a Maghreb partnership that will elevate the union to the status of an active and distinguished party within its Mediterranean, African and international environment, in a world leaving no room for isolation and individualism.

We consider the union an economic, social and political necessity for our future, and an irrevocable strategic option. Accelerating the edification of the Arab Maghreb still being our priority, we will pursue our efforts to remove obstacles and overcome circumstantial difficulties impeding the achievement of this edification, in coordination with our brothers the leaders of the union member states, efforts which require determination and perseverance.

I believe that the dynamism witnessed in the region in this last period and the frequency of the Maghreb meetings held at various levels, are gradually establishing periodicity in the Maghreb action, and are, therefore, conferring continuity on the mechanisms of political consultation. This makes us cherish the hope for a fresh and successful start for our Maghreb union.

No doubt the results achieved by the council of the Maghreb ministers of foreign affairs in its last session (Algiers- January 2003) renew our hope that the Maghreb summit be held in the course of this year, the aim being to allow the union to achieve its objectives, to reinforce cooperation between Maghreb countries and to accelerate the pace of interaction between them.

Question :

What are the government's initiatives for the year 2003, and what are the major political and economic challenges that Tunisia has to take up?

Answer:

Our political, developmental and cultural options have allowed to consecrate the concept of the ''median society'' whose material ground lies in the importance of the middle class in our country, which today accounts for three-fourths of the population. This is indeed an achievement which we will keep on reinforcing, so that there will be no place in our country for marginalisation or excessive disparities. Our options in that regard are based on a just distribution of wealth among region and social categories and a clear vision of solidarity.

We have started implementing the 10th development plan (2002-2006). This is a decisive landmark in our development process, in view of the challenges that we will have to face during the coming period, engendered by the critical world juncture and the state of stagnation characterizing the world economy in these last years. We are strongly determined to enable Tunisia to carry on its progression within this fluctuating environment and to allow our economy to keep up with the potential developments, with the required rapidity and the necessary efficiency.

In this regard, we will work to further integrate our country within the international economic system, to increase its competitiveness, to preserve its macro-financial and social balances, to attract more foreign investments in order to stimulate the pace of growth, to carry on improving life conditions, to further promote employment, to develop our human resources and our basic infrastructure, and to upgrade our economy in the society of information that we strive to build on solid foundations and to promote investment in education, teaching and modern technologies. as the building of a free economy requires the building of a free society, our determination is strong to make further headways in the political field. the coming political events - some of which we have already stated in reply to a past question - will translate into fact this determination and will make the society of freedom, which we have set as one of the main objectives of our program for the future, a concrete reality in the life of Tunisians, irrespective of their intellectual and political tendencies.