Revolution in Tunisia?

Nodin

Tunisia's president has stepped down after 23 years in power amid unprecedented protests on the streets of the capital Tunis.
Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi said he would be taking over from President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.
A state of emergency has been declared amid protests over corruption, unemployment and rising prices.

However this is only after the following deaths..

Doctors say that 13 people were killed in overnight clashes in Tunis, and there are unconfirmed reports that five people have been killed in protests on Friday outside the capital.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12195025

El Presidente (or Al Presidente?) has allegedly fled to Malta.

So will this lead to democracy and reform, or just a change of chiefs - what think ye?

sligopark

Democracy, reform, UN intervention, US involvement and a new place in which to make money.

Biggins

His days were numbered when even his offer to step down in a couple of years, didn't pacify the public.
The thing is now though, will the elections be fixed once again, will the army jump in like Burma for example and ignore any genuine results or will the likes of the UN/EU send in voting inspectors or even be allowed to do so!

Manach

... or the Ivory Coast where entrenched interests are ignoring the UN/election results and cling to power.

sligopark

Manach wrote: »

... or the Ivory Coast where entrenched interests are ignoring the UN/election results and cling to power.

Having been placed there first by the French government (Mitterand) and French freemasonry in the interests of democracy ... LOL

Nodin

sligopark wrote: »

Having been placed there first by the French government (Mitterand) and French freemasonry in the interests of democracy ... LOL

"French freemasonry"?

achtungbarry

My parents in law live in Nabeul in the North of Tunisia. We managed to speak to them tonight and thankfully it is relatively calm where they are. A few sirens in the background but that seems to be it for now.

I've been there a fair few times now and you get the impression that the younger generation really yearn for a freer more democratic and open country. They crave anything European. They dress like Europeans and act like Europeans.

I am hopeful that the events of the last few days, awful as they were, will lead to a better more open country. Already tonight we were able to speak to my parents in law on skype with a perfectly clear picture and sound. Normally the government "strangles" skype. I was able to share videos on youtube which until this week was blocked there. I was able to share my photos on Flickr which was also blocked.

It all really depends on what happens next and who will fill the power vacuum. There are several possibilities. The current PM, Ghannouchi, who has stepped in to take the presidency may try to cling to the position and become a new Ben Ali, still there 20 odd years later. The best case scenario is freer elections then have been held in recent years and a gradual liberalisation. Luckily, there is no strong Islamist movement in tunisia which is traditionally quite secular so the risk of an extreme Islamic government is minimal but still one to be watched.

I think this can be sorted without outside intervention. The younger generation want reform and this is their "revolution". Hopefully it will lead to better future for their country.

Count Dooku

sligopark wrote: »

Democracy, reform,

then sharia law, lost income from tourism, blaming everybody else for own laziness and world will have new al qaeda stronghold

Nodin

Count Dooku wrote: »

, blaming everybody else for own laziness ........

Would you care to explain that...?

sligopark

Nodin wrote: »

"French freemasonry"?

http://saoti.over-blog.com/article-west-african-leaders-on-the-square-against-gbagbo-french-masonic-lodges-and-fran-afrique-64344053.html

one of many articles Nodin - heard this first on The Last Word - Matt Cooper

ATB

wes

I don't know too much about Tunisia, and things could go any number of ways. Hopefully, things work out, and Tunisia becomes a prosperous democracy.

Also, thinking more about this, if things go well, maybe this will inspire people elsewhere in the ME, to rise up against there corrupt leaders. I have been reading in a few places, that what happening in Tunisia could have a huge influence over the entire region.

DeVore

You realise Tunisia is in north Africa right?

DeV.

groggles11

It is a very interesting turn of events. The people's revolution has had no figurehead or leader. It has been organised online for much of it. It has arisen in a country from where it was least expected. Perhaps now Egypt will follow this example. All Arab leaders are probably crapping themselves at what has unfolded whilst the Arab people around the world look on in hope at Tunisia. The new fella Ben Ali is just another stooge for Gammouchi. The Tunisians need to set dates and deadlines for large scale democratic elections. A very exciting and hopeful time for the Arab world. It is long over-due and a positive world event in such dark times.

stevedublin

DeVore wrote: »

You realise Tunisia is in north Africa right?

DeV.

part of Arab/Islam sphere of influence, Tunisia is a member of Arab League.

groggles11

stevedublin wrote: »

part of Arab/Islam sphere of influence, Tunisia is a member of Arab League.

I have to agree with Stevedublin here....I think thats quite a churlish statement aobve. Of course this will affect the greater Arab consciousness.

Nodin

It would seem even 'old friends' want to know ye when you're on the way down...

The French government rejected a request for his plane to land in the country. It refuelled on the Italian island of Sardinia and later landed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12198396

And back at the ranch, there's a third man in charge...

The leader of Tunisia's lower house of parliament is temporarily taking charge of the country after the president fled the nation following weeks of protests.
The prime minister, Mohamed Ghannouchi, said yesterday he was taking over as the temporary ruler because the incumbent, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, was temporarily unable to fulfil his duties.
But the Constitutional Council announced that by law the speaker of parliament, not the prime minister, should be the interim president, Tunisian television reported today. The country's new leader will be Fouad Mebazaa.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/15/tunisia-third-leader-speaker-parliament

flutered

i spent some time there a decade ago, they have a very large young population, school was six days per week, school had two shifts each day due to the size of the population, i claimed at the time that revolt was certain, the dictator was a little skeways, as one was not allowed to take pictures of his palace for security reasons, which i reconed was so as the populance would not know how well he lived, at the time their biggest income was farming, tunisia was known as the bread basket of italy, at the time they had wind turbines to supply power along parts of the coast, also gas, down south the had oil, tourism was in third place as a money earner, for a moslem country it was a little different, as they did drink whiskey in public, it was also a mighty currency, better than the buck, or any european currency, three bottles of johney walker would procure a full lenght kid leather coat made to measure, at the time tourist buses had right of way, they had motorways, but the vast majority of the populance lived like the irish did in the 30s, 40s and 50s.

LeixlipRed

Maybe this will inspire Irish people to overthrow their corrupt government too? Unlikely considering it's barely mentioned in the press, funny that.

Coillte_Bhoy

LeixlipRed wrote: »

Maybe this will inspire Irish people to overthrow their corrupt government too? Unlikely considering it's barely mentioned in the press, funny that.

Eh? What isnt mentioned in the press?

catbear

My impression of the place ten years ago was the amount of young people with little to do. I'm only surprised it didn't happen sooner, if it hadn't been for 9/11 and the terror treat the regime would have weakened sooner.

The young people just seemed to want to have fun and didn't seem all that keen to wait for their fathers to die to inherit the olive patch.

Brussels Sprout

I've been following events over the past number of days with a lot of interest. I'm amazed that Ben Ali went so easily in the end. This is now a crucial time as the current power vacuum will be filled but by whom and for how long. There are many possibilities:

(a) Someone from the ruling elite takes power for the interim until new elections are called. A new constitution is written up, the media are not stifled and all opposition parties are allowed access to the airwaves

(b) Someone from the ruling elite takes power for the interim until new elections are called. Nothing changes on the ground and the interim president wins the election in a poorly observed landslide. (This happened in pretty much all of the ex Soviet states in central Asia)

(c) The Military take over (Burma, Latin America in the 70's)

(d) A complete revolution occurs and an unknown siezes power (this is pretty much what happened in all the north African countries after the colonial powers pulled out)

As much as I'd love to see (a) happen, I'm naturally cynical when it comes to these kind of things.

I see Robert Fisk hasn't written anything about this yet. He's being railing against the arabic autocrats for decades now so I'd like to hear his opinion on the matter.

wes

DeVore wrote: »

You realise Tunisia is in north Africa right?

DeV.

Yes, my bad on that one, but a North African Arab majority state like Tunisia could still inspires others in the ME, and North Africa.

JustinDee

LeixlipRed wrote: »

Maybe this will inspire Irish people to overthrow their corrupt government too? Unlikely considering it's barely mentioned in the press, funny that.

It has been covered non-stop for the past three days...

DeVore

Sorry, I wasnt being smartarsed, I genuinely thought maybe you were mistaking it for somewhere like Yemen or something

I could have phrased it better on reflection

DeV.

Poccington

LeixlipRed wrote: »

Maybe this will inspire Irish people to overthrow their corrupt government too? Unlikely considering it's barely mentioned in the press, funny that.

There's been fairly widespread coverage of it, tbh.

ArtSmart

makes one glad we do live in a democracy, for all its many faults...

DeVore

ArtSmart wrote: »

makes one glad we do live in a democracy, for all its many faults...

All of us except Donegal.

And anyone who wants to voice an opinion publically.

DeV.

ArtSmart

DeVore wrote: »

All of us except Donegal.

well...in fairness...ahem...





(we shouldn't really be squandering voting rights. )

catbear

At least Brian Cowen has a job he can apply for straight away.

DeVore

catbear wrote: »

At least Brian Cowen has a job he can apply for straight away.

What? Chief Clown at Duffys Financial Circus of Doom??

DeV.

Einhard

DeVore wrote: »

And anyone who wants to voice an opinion publically.

DeV.

Who's not allowed to vioce an opinion publicly?

DeVore

Does the name Charles Haughey mean anything to you? Every journo knew what was going on but couldnt say.

Or Noel Wardick? Fired and sued for pointing out that the Irish Red Cross was mishandling funds.

Or Tom Murphy considering I have about 400 threatening legal letters on account of Boards.

Ask any news editor in the country if we have anything approaching freedom of speech. People live in a bubble of americanism here thinking they have rights, but we have no first amendment, no right to parody, no protection in the constitution for free speech, no whistleblowers charter.

If Julian Assange set foot in Ireland he would be in the Joy.


DeV.

rebel10

Just speaking to a friend of mine who lives quite close to Bizerte, about 70kms from the capital. He said that the place is still in chaos. The shops are still completely shut, although the media have been reporting that life has begun to get back to normal. He said that they can't get basics for the next few days for fear of the police. At least the army seem to be protecting civilians now rather than the government.

There is a prison just outside Bizerte where the most dangerous prisoners are housed. On Friday, the officers there abandoned it for fear of a revolt there and from outside, the prisoners from there, murderers, rapists etc. have fled. God knows where they are, similar to the ones who have fled from Hammamet prison. Scary to think of the types of people who are roaming (as much as they can) the streets now.

Must say, the international media had been very slow to pick up on these events. This has been going on now for over a month and it was Friday when RTE first started reporting about it. Very poor considering its proximity to Europe and the consequences it has on many of Europeans.

Brussels Sprout

Brussels Sprout wrote: »

I see Robert Fisk hasn't written anything about this yet. He's being railing against the arabic autocrats for decades now so I'd like to hear his opinion on the matter.

He's not too optimistic!

whiteonion

The violence that we see in places like Tunisia, Algeria is a deadly consequence of inflation.

flutered

whiteonion wrote: »

The violence that we see in places like Tunisia, Algeria is a deadly consequence of inflation.

the voilence seen in tunesia has been helped by the fact that their ruler and his family had at least a tonne and a half of pure gold, when they left, mmmmmmmm, that sounds kinda familiar.

rebel10

You might enjoy this, was just sent it by a Tunisian friend.
(sorry I can't embed it!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHya2xHA5qw