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Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet

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The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet (Arabic: رباعية الحوار الوطني التونسي, rubāʿiyyat al-ḥiwār al-waṭanī at-tūnisī) is a group of four organizations that were central in the attempts to build a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in the wake of the Jasmine Revolution of 2011.[1] The quartet was formed in the summer of 2013.[2] On 9 October 2015, the quartet won the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize "for its decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in the wake of the Jasmine Revolution of 2011".[3][4]

Formation

Main article: 2013–14 Tunisian political crisis

The National Dialogue Quartet comprises the following organizations in Tunisian civil society.[5]

The Tunisian General Labour Union took the first step in forming an alliance of civil societies by approaching the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts, considered their historic opponents. The Tunisian Human Rights League and the Tunisian Order of Lawyers later joined.[6]

The Quartet played a crucial role in Tunisia's politics in 2013 after the assassination of two opposition politicians, Chokri Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi. There were huge opposition-led protests in the summer of 2013 which threatened the continued existence of the national government at that time. The Quartet participated in talks which occurred at that time between the Islamist Ennahda government and various political parties on the topic of implementing a transition to a democratic constitution, and holding democratic elections for the national government. [7].

In December 2013, a deal was concluded which provided for the Islamist government to step down, and for a caretaker government to take over which would implement elections for President and Parliament to occur in late November 2014. During these discussions, the Quartet played an active role which was considered important to the success of these talks.[7]


Background

In 2011, Tunisia was experiencing a revolution. In its wake, the stability and security of the country were considerably compromised. [8][9] After the creation of the Assemblée nationale constituante (Constituent Assembly of Tunisia) of 2011, the writing of a new constitution proved difficult and the one-year deadline for its final ratification passed without much progress.[10] During this time, the government was criticized for its lax attitude towards radical Islamists.[10] Several attacks took place; the most widely reported was the assassination of Chokri Belaïd on March 6, 2013.[10] [11]

Consequently, tensions between the Tunisian government's Islamist majority and its opposition increased. [12] After the assassination of Mohamed Brahmi on July 25, 2013, Belaïd and Brahmi's group, Popular Front, banded with the other opposition parties into a group named the National Salvation Front. This group organized the Bardo event, calling for the government to resign.[10] [11][12] In addition, 42 opposition members withdrew from the Assembly. [10] From August 6, 2013, the Assembly was unable to carry on normal functioning. [10]

The Quartet

Given the critical situation, the Tunisian General Labour Union called, on July 29, 2013, for negotiations between the parties in power and the opposition.[10] [11] The parties accepted in September 2013, as the situation was worsening.[10] [11] On September 17, 2013, the initiative was made public and placed under the aegis of the Labour Union and three other civic organizations: the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts, the Tunisian Order of Lawyers and the Tunisian Human Rights League.

On September 17, 2013, the four organizations drafted an agreement between the parties suggesting compromises that would allow negotiations to commence. [10] This draft roadmap had four main points: the resignation of the government and its replacement by an "independent technocratic" government, the choice of fixed dates for parliamentary recesses and elections (including presidential elections), the agreement to preserve national identity in the new constititution, and negotiation of the steps necessary for the transition to a democratic government (including deadlines for each). [10]

Each political party had to accept the roadmap if it wanted to participate in the negotiations. [10] Twenty-one parties from both sides signed the agreement, making the national dialogue possible. [10] The only major party that refused to participate was the party of interim president Moncet Marzouki, the Congress for the Republic, which was one of the three parties in power.

The first dialogue session took place on October 5, 2013, at the Palais des Congrès in Tunis. [13] During the discussions, a slip of the tongue by Abdessattar Ben Moussa, president of the Tunisian Human Rights League, (he said ??mar, donkey, instead of ??war , dialogue) caused gales of laughter among the delegates, even Rached Ghannouchi, president of the Ennahdha party. [14]

After the initial session, subsequent talks continued regularly, under the aegis of the quartet, at the Transitional Ministry of Human Rights and Justice. [15] They led to the choosing of Mehdi Jommaa as Prime Minister on December 14, the resignation of the government of Ali Larayedh on January 9, 2014, the ratification of the new constitution on January 24 and presidential elections in December. [16][17][10][18]

See also

References

  1. ^ Antoine Lerougetel and Johannes Stern (15 October 2013). "Tunisian political parties organize "national dialogue"". Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  2. ^ Melvin, Don (9 October 2015). "Boost for Arab Spring: Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet wins Nobel Peace Prize". CNN. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  3. ^ Announcement - The Nobel Peace Prize for 2015
  4. ^ "The Nobel Peace Prize 2015". Nobelprize.org. 9 October 2015.
  5. ^ "The Nobel Peace Prize 2015 - Press Release". Nobelprize.org. 9 October 2015.
  6. ^ Borger, Julian. "Who are the Tunisian ​​national ​​dialogue ​​quartet?". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 October 2015. {{cite news}}: zero width space character in |title= at position 22 (help)
  7. ^ a b Nobel Peace Prize Is Awarded to National Dialogue Quartet in Tunisia, By SEWELL CHANOCT. New York Times, October 9, 2015.
  8. ^ African Manager (28 September 2012). "La solidité économique de la Tunisie affectée par l'instabilité politique et les problèmes de sécurité, selon Moody's". Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  9. ^ African Manager (20 December 2012). "Tunisie : Les forces de sécurité en état d'alerte maximale!". Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Yadh Ben Achour (27 January 2015). "Tunisie : La force du droit ou la naissance d'une constitution en temps de révolution". Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  11. ^ a b c d "Assassinats politiques : La Tunisie revient de très loin". 6 February 2014. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  12. ^ a b "Tunisie : retour sur 6 mois de troubles politiques, sociaux et religieux". 26 July 2013. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  13. ^ Chennoufi, A. (2013). "Tunisie, Politique : Dialogue national : TOP c'est parti avec 210 minutes de retard !". Tunivisions,. Retrieved 5 October 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  14. ^ "Le lapsus de Abdessatar Moussa (Vidéo)". Business News. 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2013.
  15. ^ Chennoufi, A. (2013). ""Tunisie , Politique : Reprise du Dialogue National : Le Quartet se réuni avec les partis politiques dans le cadre du Processus électoral"". Tunivisions. Retrieved 9 October 2015.
  16. ^ Ben Hamadi, M. (23 December 2013). "Tunisie - Reprise du dialogue national: le plus dur reste à faire". Al Huffington Post.
  17. ^ Ben Hamadi, S. (9 janvier 2014). "Tunisie: Ali Larayedh remet sa démission au Président de la République". Al Huffington Post. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  18. ^ Template:Fr [http://www.businessnews.com.tn/tunisie--dialogue-national--les-elections-legislatives-devanceront-la-presidentielle,520,47171,3 |title=Tunisie – Dialogue national : Les élections législatives devanceront la présidentielle. |publisher=Business News |date=13 juin 2014}}
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