Democracy News

Tunisia’s Ennahda Party Wins Majority in Elections
October 27, 2011
By: Lulu Buhisi | Printer Friendly

On October 20, the Financial Times reported the use of scare tactics by an obscure Tunisian organization to prevent the Islamist Ennahda party from winning in the country’s legislative election. After the revolution that toppled former Tunisian President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011, a small group of secular oppositionists sought to take advantage of the decades of the demonization of Islamists by the former regime, in the hopes of diminishing Ennahda's popularity. Although the Islamist presence was not prominent during the Arab Spring revolutions, Ennahda seems to have an advantage over other parties as the democratic process moves forward.

Elections for the 217-member legislative assembly were held on October 23. The poll had a voter turnout rate of 90 percent of the 4.1 million registered voters. The European Union and other international observers declared the elections free and fair. Ennahda (renaissance in Arabic) announced it received 40 percent of the seats. Ennahda’s platform is based upon Islamic values, but the party has emphasized its desire and willingness to engage in secular dialogue. Rashid Ghannouchi, head of Ennahda, pushes for a “democratic society built on Islamic values.” Ghannouchi’s daughter, Intissar, acting as a spokeswoman for Ennahda said, “the inspiration for our values is Islam but we're concerned to address the modern daily concerns of Tunisians, within the context of modern culture.”

Ennahda campaigned on several major issues, which include fighting corruption, employment and women’s rights. In an October 26 New York Times opinion editorial titled, “Can Islamism and Feminism Mix?,” Oxford University Middle Eastern Studies doctoral student Monica Marks highlights the strategic position Ennahda’s women are in to advance the rights of Tunisian women. For decades, Ben Ali stifled religious expression, often discriminating against and even jailing women who wore the headscarf. Marks interviewed 46 female candidates and activists within Ennahda and found that many have entered the political arena to work on women’s legislative issues, particularly freedom of religious expression. Ennahda has explicitly stated it would like to follow Turkey’s Justice and Development Party, which includes women as equal political partners.

For now, the biggest challenge is drafting the constitution. Ennahda has repeatedly stated its wish for a unified and inclusive national government. Tunisia led the Arab Spring and is once again leading with its fair elections. The Associated Press reports the success of elections in Tunisia can be attributed to a fairly peaceful revolution, the peoples' faith in the democratic process, as well as the diverse parties themselves working effectively with the independent election commission. The military has also been absent from the process, primarily to preserve impartiality.

For previous news on Tunisia, please see:
Optimistic Future for Post-Revolution Tunisia

Sources:
BBC News – Renaissance Party Offers Clean Break to Voters

BBC News – Moderate Islamist Party Claims Election Win in Tunisia

Financial Times – Toward a New Arab Order

New York Times – Can Islamism and Feminism Mix?

The Guardian – Tunisia’s Clean Election Leads the Way

The Associated Press – Tunisia’s Election Sets High Bar for Arab Spring