Catching up from August. Originally published in Green Left Weekly.
Daily protests are demanding the dissolution of Tunisia's National
Constituent Assembly (NCA) in the wake the assassination of Popular
Front leader Mohamed Brahmi.
In the face of the protests, leader of the Ettakatol party and
speaker of the NCA Mustafa Ben Jafaar announced the suspension of the
body on August 6.
However, the main party of government, Islamist group Ennahda, has
refused to concede the dissolution of the NCA, in which it holds the
largest number of seats. Ennahda now looks to have negotiated the NCA's
resumption.
In response to the weeks of protests, as well as the recent ouster of
President Mohamad Morsi in Egypt, thousands of Ennahda supporters
rallied on August 2 at Kasbah square. They demanded, "no to coups, yes
to elections".
Reuters reported Ennahda party leader Rachid Ghannouchi told the demonstration:
"Tunisia is a candle whose revolution lit up the world but now they
(the opposition) want to put it out by trying to set off a coup."
Estimates of attendance vary wildly. Ennahda officials said 150,000 attended, while media website Al-Monitor reported 12,000–15,000.
On the other hand, independant analysis by a variety of sources
suggests at least 95,000 joined the anti-government demonstration on
August 6. the day marked the six-month anniversary of the asssassination
of antoher Popular Front leader, Chokri Belaid.
The widows of Belaid and Brahmi, Basma Khalfaoui and Mbarka Brahmi,
took part in the march from Bab Saadoun to Bardo, where the NCA building
is located. The Popular Front began planning for the anniversary march
to demand justice for Belaid before Brahmi was assassinated on July 25.
After the major rally, the "sit-in of dissolution" at Bardo
continued, joined by opposition delegates from the NCA who have resigned
in protest. The protest has continued nightly since Brahmi's funeral.
On August 9, police removed tents set up at the site, prompting
activists involved in the Tunisian "Tamarod" movement taking part in the
sit-in to declare a hunger strike on August 10.
A few days later, rival pro- and anti-government rallies marked National Women's Day,
commemmorating the passage of landmark laws affirming the rights of
women in 1956 under Habib Bourguiba, dictator before Zine el-Abidine Ben
Ali.
And on this occasion, numbers reported at the anti-government protest at Bardo — up to 150,000, according to Al-Monitor — hugely outweighed the few thousand joining the pro-government protest at Avenue Habib Bourguiba.
The opposition rally heard from feminist activists, Popular Front
leader Hamma Hammami, and Khalfaoui and Brahmi — who both accused
Ennahda of responsibility for their husband's deaths.
Mbarka Brahmi quoted from Sahbi Attig, Ennahda member of parliament,
who in early July called for "trampling in the streets those who
rebelled against legitimacy".
The suspension of the NCA, which is well overdue to deliver a draft
constitution, was announced as a way to sidestep the pressure of the
protests — but the mass turn-out on National Women's Day indicates
frustration with the Islamists in government has coalesced.
In response to the situation, Ghannounchi told La Presse
on August 8: "There are excessive demands at protests for the
dissolution of the elected government ... In democratic regimes,
protests don't change governments."
Ennahda has described
Ben Jaffar's unilateral decision to suspend the NCA as a coup, which
has been echoed by the network of pro-Ennahda militias known as the
"Leagues for the Protection of the Revolution", who called their members
to protest it.
However, after only a week, delegates from the governing "troika" of
Ennahda, Ettakatol and the Congress for the Republic (CPR), as well as
the Wafa movement, announced they had agreed to resume their work in the NCA from August 19.
Whether or not the National Salvation Front, which brings together
the radical Popular Front along with centrist democratic forces and the
secular ex-regime party, Nidaa Tounes, will hold together in the face of
the resumption of the NCA remains to be seen.
The left is taking risks in uniting with such forces in order to galvanise broad opposition to Ennahda.
Yet the sit-in continues to gain momentum. Blogger Lina Ben Mhenni
reported that those taking part began rebuilding tents on August 16 as a
new contingent from Sousse joined the demonstration, signalling intent
to hold strong in the demands for justice.
Showing posts with label assassination. Show all posts
Showing posts with label assassination. Show all posts
Monday, 20 January 2014
Saturday, 18 January 2014
Tunisia: Assassination throws government into chaos
Reposted from July. Originally published in Green Left Weekly.
For the second time in six months, Tunisia's government has been thrown into chaos after the killing of a left-wing leader. Mohamed Brahmi, a leader of Tunisia's Popular Front, was assassinated on July 25.
Brahmi was attacked by two men on motorbike outside his home in Ariana, a suburb of Tunis, and was shot 11 times. He was taken to Mahmoud Matri Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
His widow M'barka told radio station Mosaique FM: “He died as a martyr to his opinion and position”, Tunisia Live said. She added that “he was killed by a terrorist gang”.
Brahmi was an activist for many years under Ben Ali's dictatorship. He was born in the impoverished interior town of Sidi Bouzid, where the uprising that overthrew Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011 began. After the 2011 uprising, he founded the Popular Movement.
On April 9, the Popular Movement joined with the Popular Front, which is made up of a large variety of radical left groups involved in the trade union and other social movements.
On July 7, Brahmi resigned from the Popular Movement after it rescinded the decision to join the front.
In the aftermath of the killing, interior minister Lotfi Ben Jeddou announced that the same gun used to kill Brahmi had been used to assassinate Chokri Belaid six months earlier.
Belaid, also a Popular Front leader was killed in similar circumstances, gunned down by assailants on motorbikes outside his home on February 6.
Ben Jeddou named a suspect, Islamic fundamnetalist Boubacar Hakim, also wanted on suspicion of smuggling weapons from Libya. He has been connected with the al Qaeda-linked group Ansar al-Sharia.
However, the group denied responsibility in a Facebook statement, calling Brahmi's killing "a political assassination, part of attempts to push the country toward chaos".
Brahmi's murder "only profits remnants of the former regime and lackeys of the Zionists and Crusaders", it said.
The response to the killing was swift, with protests breaking out across the country. A general strike on July 26 shut down banks, shops and flights, as thousands rallied in Tunis to join Brahmi's funeral procession.
Demonstrations took place around the country, with a police station and offices of the ruling Ennahda party set on fire in Siliana.
Popular Front activist Mohamed Mofti was killed in the southern mining town of Gafsa after being struck in the head by a tear gas canister. Tear gas was also used to disperse protests demanding the dissolution of the government in Tunis, Sidi Bouzid, Siliana, Montastir and Sfax.
Protesters in Tunis converged on the Bardo square, location of the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) that is overdue to release a new draft constitution. The Islamist Ennahda party, in a "troika" alliance with two secular parties, holds a majority in the NCA, and the interim government.
Protesters converged on the Bardo on July 26 to demand the dissolution of the Ennahda-led government and the NCA.
They were met by a smaller number of government supporters who rallied across the square, chanting "there's no room for Sisi" — comparing the calls to dissolve the government to the recent ouster of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt by the military.
Despite their similar positions as post-dictatorship democracies with Islamist governments, comparisons between the current events to those in Egypt, where large liberal secular protests preceded the removal of the Muslim Brotherhood government by the military, are weak at best.
A "Tunisian Tamarod" movement, demanding a constitution which would represent all Tunisians and not only Islamists, gained 200,000 signatures in June, but was unable to make a big impact or mobilise strong support on the streets.
Beji Caid Essebsi, the leader of the ex-regime Tunisia Call Party, used the opportunity to demand the dissolution of the NCA. He also criticised a proposed law that would extend a ban on ex-regime figures taking office.
This demand has also been raised by the Popular Front. In an interview with International Viewpoint, leader of the socialist Workers' Left League Alhelm Belhadj said: "The government has failed ... it was put in place to manage a transitional period of one year. Eighteen months have gone by and the essential tasks for which it was there, those of the Constitution, have not been fulfilled."
The Popular Front had proposed to launch a big national protest movement for justice for Chokri Belaid on August 6, before Brahmi's murder.
The anti-government sit-in at the Bardo was dispersed on July 27. The police claimed they were intervening to prevent violence between the two camps in the square after a spate of "stone throwing".
Thousands of anti-government protesters resumed their "Sit-in of Departure" on July 28, where they remained until August 2.
Sixty-five members of the NCA have withdrawn from the body in protest; several have been taking part in the sit-in.
Ennahda spokespeople have announced they are willing to discuss forming a government of national unity, but refuse to discuss dissolving the NCA.
For the second time in six months, Tunisia's government has been thrown into chaos after the killing of a left-wing leader. Mohamed Brahmi, a leader of Tunisia's Popular Front, was assassinated on July 25.
Brahmi was attacked by two men on motorbike outside his home in Ariana, a suburb of Tunis, and was shot 11 times. He was taken to Mahmoud Matri Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
His widow M'barka told radio station Mosaique FM: “He died as a martyr to his opinion and position”, Tunisia Live said. She added that “he was killed by a terrorist gang”.
Brahmi was an activist for many years under Ben Ali's dictatorship. He was born in the impoverished interior town of Sidi Bouzid, where the uprising that overthrew Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011 began. After the 2011 uprising, he founded the Popular Movement.
On April 9, the Popular Movement joined with the Popular Front, which is made up of a large variety of radical left groups involved in the trade union and other social movements.
On July 7, Brahmi resigned from the Popular Movement after it rescinded the decision to join the front.
In the aftermath of the killing, interior minister Lotfi Ben Jeddou announced that the same gun used to kill Brahmi had been used to assassinate Chokri Belaid six months earlier.
Belaid, also a Popular Front leader was killed in similar circumstances, gunned down by assailants on motorbikes outside his home on February 6.
Ben Jeddou named a suspect, Islamic fundamnetalist Boubacar Hakim, also wanted on suspicion of smuggling weapons from Libya. He has been connected with the al Qaeda-linked group Ansar al-Sharia.
However, the group denied responsibility in a Facebook statement, calling Brahmi's killing "a political assassination, part of attempts to push the country toward chaos".
Brahmi's murder "only profits remnants of the former regime and lackeys of the Zionists and Crusaders", it said.
The response to the killing was swift, with protests breaking out across the country. A general strike on July 26 shut down banks, shops and flights, as thousands rallied in Tunis to join Brahmi's funeral procession.
Demonstrations took place around the country, with a police station and offices of the ruling Ennahda party set on fire in Siliana.
Popular Front activist Mohamed Mofti was killed in the southern mining town of Gafsa after being struck in the head by a tear gas canister. Tear gas was also used to disperse protests demanding the dissolution of the government in Tunis, Sidi Bouzid, Siliana, Montastir and Sfax.
Protesters in Tunis converged on the Bardo square, location of the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) that is overdue to release a new draft constitution. The Islamist Ennahda party, in a "troika" alliance with two secular parties, holds a majority in the NCA, and the interim government.
Protesters converged on the Bardo on July 26 to demand the dissolution of the Ennahda-led government and the NCA.
They were met by a smaller number of government supporters who rallied across the square, chanting "there's no room for Sisi" — comparing the calls to dissolve the government to the recent ouster of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt by the military.
Despite their similar positions as post-dictatorship democracies with Islamist governments, comparisons between the current events to those in Egypt, where large liberal secular protests preceded the removal of the Muslim Brotherhood government by the military, are weak at best.
A "Tunisian Tamarod" movement, demanding a constitution which would represent all Tunisians and not only Islamists, gained 200,000 signatures in June, but was unable to make a big impact or mobilise strong support on the streets.
Beji Caid Essebsi, the leader of the ex-regime Tunisia Call Party, used the opportunity to demand the dissolution of the NCA. He also criticised a proposed law that would extend a ban on ex-regime figures taking office.
This demand has also been raised by the Popular Front. In an interview with International Viewpoint, leader of the socialist Workers' Left League Alhelm Belhadj said: "The government has failed ... it was put in place to manage a transitional period of one year. Eighteen months have gone by and the essential tasks for which it was there, those of the Constitution, have not been fulfilled."
The Popular Front had proposed to launch a big national protest movement for justice for Chokri Belaid on August 6, before Brahmi's murder.
The anti-government sit-in at the Bardo was dispersed on July 27. The police claimed they were intervening to prevent violence between the two camps in the square after a spate of "stone throwing".
Thousands of anti-government protesters resumed their "Sit-in of Departure" on July 28, where they remained until August 2.
Sixty-five members of the NCA have withdrawn from the body in protest; several have been taking part in the sit-in.
Ennahda spokespeople have announced they are willing to discuss forming a government of national unity, but refuse to discuss dissolving the NCA.
Monday, 3 June 2013
Tunisia: Rage as leftist leader killed
Putting up some of my writing from Tunisia's February crisis. Originally published by Green Left Weekly.
Furious protests have exploded onto Tunisia's streets and a general strike has been called after the assassination of left-wing politician and lawyer Chokri Belaid on February 6.
Belaid was head of the far-left Party of Democratic Patriots (PPD). His killing is Tunisia's first reported political assassination since independence.
Belaid was gunned down outside his home. Only 12 hours before, he publicly denounced "attempts to dismantle the state and the creation of militias to terrorise citizens and drag the country into a spiral of violence", Al Ahram said on February 6.
Belaid's brother Abdelmajid told AFP: “I accuse Rached Ghannouchi [leader of the Islamist Ennahda party] of assassinating my brother.”
Although no suspects have been identified by police, most demonstrators agreed with him, with chants such as "Get out!" and others targeting the party and its leaders.
Zied El Heni, a member of the Union of Journalists, accused Mehrez Zouari, an interior ministry official, of setting up a death squad responsible for the death of Belaid, Tunisia Live said on February 8.
A recent report by Human Rights Watch cited a "failure to investigate and prosecute physical assaults by people apparently affiliated with violent groups" from the government.
These groups include the League for the Protection of the Revolution, which assaulted the headquarters of the main union federation, the UGTT, in December.
Although party leaders have denied links, the Tunisian opposition widely regards the League militias as enforcers for Ennahda.
Afer Belaid's assassination, thousands of people rallied outside the headquarters of the interior ministry and other places on February 7 and 8, confronting tear gas and police assault.
Protests spread across all major regional cities and towns, with a general strike in Siliana on February 8. Headquarters of the Ennahda party were attacked in several places.
Siliana was the scene of a regional uprising late last year demanding regional investment, job creation and political agency. Belaid took part in the protests, promoting interior minister Ali Larayedh to accuse him of "stirring up trouble".
The PPD was one of 12 parties that united in October to form the Popular Front. The PF has been active in trade unions and social struggle; the UGTT leadership is largely comprised of PF leaders.
Belaid's funeral took place on February 8. At the insistence of his widow, Besma Khalfaoui, women were encouraged to take part in the funeral procession.
Nessma TV estimated 1 million were on the streets.
As Belaid's body reached the Jellaz cemetery in central Tunis, Nessma TV displayed footage of looters breaking into cars. The police responded with teargas, which entered the cemetery.
"Rest in peace, Chokri, we will continue on your path," fellow PF leader and long-term labour activist Hamma Hammami said in a speech at the funeral.
The general strike was widely respected. Most flights out of Tunis's airport were cancelled, all schools were shut down, and almost all shops were closed.
Ennahda and the other forces of "stability" have jostled ensure the outrage at Belaid's death isn't chanelled into expanding the struggle for justice, dignity and work.
Ennahda Prime Minister Hamdi Jebali has announced he will dissolve the government and form a non-partisan government of "technocrats" ― despite the wishes of his own party leadership.
Whether such a government will be able to hold the Leagues to account, or deliver on the demands of the January 14 revolution, remains to be seen.
Furious protests have exploded onto Tunisia's streets and a general strike has been called after the assassination of left-wing politician and lawyer Chokri Belaid on February 6.
Belaid was head of the far-left Party of Democratic Patriots (PPD). His killing is Tunisia's first reported political assassination since independence.
Belaid was gunned down outside his home. Only 12 hours before, he publicly denounced "attempts to dismantle the state and the creation of militias to terrorise citizens and drag the country into a spiral of violence", Al Ahram said on February 6.
Belaid's brother Abdelmajid told AFP: “I accuse Rached Ghannouchi [leader of the Islamist Ennahda party] of assassinating my brother.”
Although no suspects have been identified by police, most demonstrators agreed with him, with chants such as "Get out!" and others targeting the party and its leaders.
Zied El Heni, a member of the Union of Journalists, accused Mehrez Zouari, an interior ministry official, of setting up a death squad responsible for the death of Belaid, Tunisia Live said on February 8.
A recent report by Human Rights Watch cited a "failure to investigate and prosecute physical assaults by people apparently affiliated with violent groups" from the government.
These groups include the League for the Protection of the Revolution, which assaulted the headquarters of the main union federation, the UGTT, in December.
Although party leaders have denied links, the Tunisian opposition widely regards the League militias as enforcers for Ennahda.
Afer Belaid's assassination, thousands of people rallied outside the headquarters of the interior ministry and other places on February 7 and 8, confronting tear gas and police assault.
Protests spread across all major regional cities and towns, with a general strike in Siliana on February 8. Headquarters of the Ennahda party were attacked in several places.
Siliana was the scene of a regional uprising late last year demanding regional investment, job creation and political agency. Belaid took part in the protests, promoting interior minister Ali Larayedh to accuse him of "stirring up trouble".
The PPD was one of 12 parties that united in October to form the Popular Front. The PF has been active in trade unions and social struggle; the UGTT leadership is largely comprised of PF leaders.
Belaid's funeral took place on February 8. At the insistence of his widow, Besma Khalfaoui, women were encouraged to take part in the funeral procession.
Nessma TV estimated 1 million were on the streets.
As Belaid's body reached the Jellaz cemetery in central Tunis, Nessma TV displayed footage of looters breaking into cars. The police responded with teargas, which entered the cemetery.
"Rest in peace, Chokri, we will continue on your path," fellow PF leader and long-term labour activist Hamma Hammami said in a speech at the funeral.
The general strike was widely respected. Most flights out of Tunis's airport were cancelled, all schools were shut down, and almost all shops were closed.
Ennahda and the other forces of "stability" have jostled ensure the outrage at Belaid's death isn't chanelled into expanding the struggle for justice, dignity and work.
Ennahda Prime Minister Hamdi Jebali has announced he will dissolve the government and form a non-partisan government of "technocrats" ― despite the wishes of his own party leadership.
Whether such a government will be able to hold the Leagues to account, or deliver on the demands of the January 14 revolution, remains to be seen.
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