Although the administrative court has recognised the independence of the provisional body within Tunisia’s justice sector – a body which would replace the CMS (Supreme Council of Magistrates)
Tunisian Assembly: It’s a Man’s World, but Women Can Help!
On August 1, 2012, the Tunisian committee on rights and liberties – one of the constitutional committees charged with drafted different chapter in the Tunisian constitution – voted in controversial new language that promises to protect women’s rights as “man’s partner.”
USIP Report: Twitter more megaphone than rallying cry
Up until now, the debate surrounding the role of Twitter and so-called Web 2.0 has remained somewhat polarised. This report then aims to provide an empirical analysis of the available data in order to move away from the binary arguments presented by those who have come to be known as “cyberoptimists” and “cyberskeptics”.
State of Emergency: The free reign of the Interior Ministry and the risk of authoritarian drift
Since 15th January, Tunisia has been under a state of emergency. At that time the President had just fled the country and disorder was widespread. It was then difficult then to maintain the proper functioning of the administration, to ensure national security and to continue to live normally.
Which political system for Tunisia?
As the work of the constituent assembly progresses, the debate appears strained when it comes to the different forms of political system on offer. At stake are, most importantly, the role and mode of election of the Head of State. There has been talk of a modified parliamentary system, a mixed system and a semi-presidential system.
Live-in housekeepers: Lives spent in the shadows
It’s the story of a mother with sad eyes, who speaks to you with her hand clenched to her chest, and of her daughter Rachida, twenty-nine, who has now been behind bars for three years. Rachida, employed at the age of 15 as a live-in housekeeper at one of the Trabelsi family dwellings.
The case of the missing Tunisian migrants: From one shore to another, lives which matter
The controversial affair of the Tunisian migrants lost at sea during the months of March, April and May 2011, continues to perplex Tunisian authorities as well as those on the Italian peninsula. This article aims to give a chronological account of the key facts surrounding this affair .
An insider’s account of the crisis at the highest levels of government: The former advisor to the President speaks out.
Ayoub Massoudi, the former first advisor to the President of the Republic, in charge of Information, revealed what was going on behind the scenes in the Troika (Ennahda, CPR and Ettaktol) yesterday evening in an appearance Attounisia.
Tunisian National Radio denies ‘’censorship’’ accusations
On July, 16 the Tunisian National Radio issued a communiqué [Ar] denying recent “censorship” accusations. The public institution was recently subject to harsh criticism when Nadia Haddaoui Mabkhout, a journalist working for RTCI was prohibited from stepping inside the radio’s headquarters to host her radio show “Café Noir”
9th Conference: Ghannouchi remains leader as Ennahda denies any conflict within the movement.
The ninth conference of the Ennahda Movement in Tunisia represented a historic moment for a party that, since its inception, had only ever been able to conduct its affairs in secret.
Tunisia: The hijacking of free radio
Gone are the days of a few radio stations flooding the airwaves with the same information and press releases, broadcast in loop, providing listeners with one way of looking at things. Since the revolution, we’ve seen the launch of 12 new radio stations. And since such diversity allows for a more democratic management of the airwaves, it would seem logical that everything be done to help them continue to broadcast.
Status report and perspectives on Tunisian civil society
An EU study group has recently filed its diagnostic report on Tunisian Civil Society (TCS). A look back at the principal elements of this report and some proposals for future action.
Global Voices Citizen Media Summit: Day 1
On July, 2 more than 300 bloggers, netizens, and academics flocked to Westlands in Nairobi, Kenya to take part at the 2012 Global Voices Citizen Media Summit. After welcoming guests, Ethan Zuckerman, co-founder of Global Voices Online gave some historical background, and talke about the first Global Voices Summit.
Tunisia: Appeal Court Confirms Verdict in Islam Criticism Case
On 25 June the Monsatir Court of Appeal confirmed a primary verdict in the case of Jabeur Mejri, a young Tunisian citizen convicted over the publishing of content deemed “insulting” to Islam.
Internal Security Failures: Fuloul, Laraayedh, and “Provocative Art”
“Criminals, drug traffickers, and Salafist extremists are the ones behind the unrest,” Ali Laraayedh, the Tunisian Minister of the Interior, told the Constituent Assembly on Tuesday. The minister was invited to speak to the assembly and answer its questions
Constituent Assembly: Duty to Lead the Way in Transparency and Governmental Accountability
On June 4th, members of the OpenGovTN group (an initiative that works to institutionalize transparency in the new Tunisia) met with the information and communication official in the Constituent Assembly, representative Karima Souid.
Beyond Sheer Numbers, Greater Transparency Needed in Assembly Costs
It all started 3 months ago in the Constituent Assembly’s Finance Committee. One Constituent Assembly member, who does not sit on the committee, anonymously confided to me: “It was one of the first things they discussed.”
Informal work, or evidence of the state’s incompetence
The problem is that the informal field is theoretical and is difficult to define. “The informal sector encompasses all employment activity that is executed with out registration, accounting, or paying taxes or dues. Such activity is beyond the state’s control and regulation.
