See Also Tunisian Government Website( in French)   OVERVIEW The Change:a historic turning point: The constitutional accession of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to the highest executive office, on November 7, 1987, ushered the country into a new era, often referred to as the Change. Democratic reform:Since the first days of the Change, President Ben Ali initiated several major reforms anchoring democracy and enlarging political participation. Reforms did away with "presidency-for-life" and made it easier for Political candidates to compete for the presidency. Electoral reforms also made it possible for the opposition to enter Parliament for the first time, in 1994, and then to garner 20% of the seats during the 1999 and 2004 elections. The same percentage of seats was set aside as a minimum for the minority candidates in municipal councils after the local elections, of 2000.and 2005. In November 2001, President Ben Ali announced further democratic reforms: constitutional sanction of human rights; creation of a second legislative body to reinforce legislative power, giving the Constitutional council more powers to ascertain the regularity of presidential and legislative elections. All provisions were part of a constitutional reform adopted by popular referendum in May 2002. Tunisia's second legislative chamber, the chambers of advisors, was inaugurated in August 2005. Promoting human rights (*):Numerous measures have been taken to promote human rights and translate them into facts. Institutions were created and legal mechanisms introduced so that every member of society can enjoy all his rights, be they political, civic, economic, social or cultural. Since 1987, and within this comprehensive approach, political and civic participation has been widened, pre-trial and preventive custody were regulated, the State Security Court abolished, a general amnesty decreed, a Constitutional Council was established and its rulings rendered binding, a code for the rights of the child was adopted, gender equality was further promoted, and the rights of all to decent living transformed into reality. Freedom of thought and expression is protected by law and the Press Code of the Press was amended four times, to further promote freedom of the press. The values of human rights, pluralism and tolerance are taught at all levels by educational and training institutions. Measures announced in the year 2000 included the decision to transfer authority over incarceration and correction institutions to the Ministry of introduction of liberal amendments into the Press Code. The transfer took place since then. The Chamber of Deputies has also adopted a bill guaranteeing the rights of prison inmates. In May 2001, it adopted another bill amending the press code. In July 2005, the administrative requirement of filing copies for published press material ( depot legal) was abolished.in 2007, the depot legal for books was also abolished. The bill scrapped prison terms as possible sentences and did away with the charge of "defaming public order". On November 7, 2007, Tunisian President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali announced, in a major address, a number of measures to promote democracy and human rights. The measures announced by President Ben Ali include : Increasing twofold the fixed grant allocated to finance political parties represented in the Chamber of Deputies, in order to help them promote their role and intensify their activities. Increasing the grant allocated to these parties'press in order to consolidate their capacity to make heard their voice and make known their programs and positions. Facilitating the activity of these political parties in public spaces, as far as possible, and in accordance with the regulations in force. Increasing Opposition's presence in TV programs addressing national issues and world developments. Promoting the Higher Communication Council into an institution with its own entity and financial autonomy and consolidating its prerogatives, by making it responsible for following up the performance of media institutions, particularly the audio-visual media, assessing their programs and contents, and submitting suggestions to promote them in a way that meets Tunisia's national choices and orientations, and conforms to the ethics of the journalistic profession and media work. Lowering, from 20 to 18, the minimum voting age; thus allowing Tunisia's youth to participate, on the largest scale possible, in general elections. Amending the Electoral Code in such a way as to allow municipalities where the number of voters amounts to 7,000 or more, to increase, from 450 to 600, the number of registered voters in each of their polling stations. Reinforcing the composition of the National Election Monitoring Observatory, by involving law specialists and national figures known for their independence and competence. Revising the Electoral Code in such a way as to increase up to 25% the number of seats devoted to the national level in the election of the members of the Chamber of Deputies. Reviewing the provisions of the Chamber of Deputies'internal regulations concerning parliamentary groups, in order to facilitate their creation, by decreasing, from 10% to 5% only, the number of seats required to form a parliamentary group. Reinforcing the presence of the different political tendencies within the list of national figures and competences belonging to the Economic and Social Council. Reviewing the texts organising higher consultative councils, in such a way as to allow political parties represented in the Chamber of Deputies to join all these councils, and thus reinforce the traditions of consultation and exchanges of views and ideas concerning the evolution and promotion of all sectors. Amending the Electoral Code toward decreasing the ceiling set for the number of seats for each list, in such a way as to make sure no list obtains more than 75% of the seats in municipal councils, regardless of the number of votes it wins. Preparing a bill that consolidates the judicial guarantees offered during the period of custody, by establishing the obligation for the judicial party to justify the decision to extend the period of custody; thus avoiding any automatic extension of this period. The bill shall also establish the obligation for the investigating magistrate to justify the decision to preventively detain a suspect; thus confirming the exceptional character of preventive custody. Further promoting this system by enlarging the scope of alternative non-prison punishments, and establishing the sentence of reparation, under which it will be possible for the court, in small infractions and offences requiring a short-term prison penalty, to require the sentened party to compensate the victim of the offence or to remove the damage caused by the offence, wthin a period of time set by the court. The prison sentence shall apply in case the compensation is not made during the set period. Preparing a bill reviewing the conditions for the restitution of rights, by decreasing the period required for obtaining a decision for the restitution of rights, or required for the restitution of rights by law. Establishing a developed computer system connecting courts, tax offices and the judicial register department, which will allow to update the criminal record certificate as soon as possible, and obtain the restitution of rights as soon as the legal conditions are met. This will offer those who had committed offences the possibility to obtain a job in easy conditions, and will, therefore, protect them against recidivism. Preparing a bill forbidding the residence of children with their imprisoned mothers, and providing for the establishment of special spaces for the protection and accomodation of imprisoned mothers all along the period of pregnancy and breast-feeding. When this period ends, they shall continue serving their sentence in ordinary penitentiary institutions reserved for women. -The prerogatives of The Higher Committee for Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, established on January 7, 1991 as the instituion to promote human rights and freedoms in Tunisia, have been regularly strengthened based on initiatives by President Ben Ali. -In an address on January 24, 2008, President Ben Ali announced that this Committee will gain an autonomous status and larger prerogatives , as well as benefiting from a revised composition “in such a way as to strengthen communication between the state and civil society components.” Sustained economic growth:Freeing private initiative and revitalizing market mechanisms have been part of far reaching structural reform which opened the Tunisian economy to the outside world, diversified productive sectors, and made the economy overall more efficient and more resistant to external shocks. Since 1987, the GDP growth rate has averaged about 4.5% a year (with a significant acceleration over the past four years) as compared to only 2.4% during the 1982-86 period. The stabilization of the macroeconomic framework and improvement of the overall balances is reflected in the curbing of the inflation rate from more than 8% in 1987 to 2.8% in the year 2003, as well as in the reduction of the balance of payments and the state budget deficits which in turn led to a substantial improvement in the debt parameters. Integrating the world economy: In 1995, Tunisia became the first country south of the Mediterranean to sign an association and free-trade agreement with the European Union. Tunisia has also entered into free trade agreements with several Maghrebi and Arab countries, and diversified its cooperation and partnership relations all over the world. The benefits offered by Tunisia to foreign firms led to an increase of more than 100% in foreign investments during the 1987-2004 decade in comparison with the preceding decade. Those results were the fruits of a new situation characterized by a climate of political and social stability; greater competitiveness and efficiency of the economy; an overall effort to enhance the efficiency of business and industry; adoption of new vocational training methods better adapted to the country's needs; modernization of the transport and communication infrastructure; and diversification of economic activity. Sharing the fruits of growth:Various indicators show a substantial improvement of the living standards of all Tunisians . Thus, life expectancy increased from 67 in 1984 to an average of 73 years in 2004. The annual rate of population growth dropped from 1.7% in 1994 to 1.1% in 2004. The per capita income increased from 952 dinars (in 1986 ) to reach 3,580 dinars ( in 2004). Approximately three-quarters of the population are considered middle class and about 80% of Tunisian families own their own homes. The poverty rate has dropped to about 4%. A special fund, the National Solidarity Fund, was created in 1993 by President ben Ali to channel donations and extra-budget allocations into programs benefitting needy areas and individuals. Building on the exceptional success of this fund in fighting poverty, a new fund –the National Employment Fund– was launched in January 2000 for the purpose of creating job opportunities. Created in 1998, the Tunisian Solidarity Bank has offered thousands of micro-credit loans to young graduates and small businesses. Investing in human resources(**):President Ben Ali has made the promotion of human resources a pivotal concern in Tunisia's development strategy by giving priority to education, training and improvement of the citizens' living conditions. In order to promote socio-economic progress through the dissemination of learning, a number of measures have been undertaken including a comprehensive reform of the educational system, the upgrading of the system of vocational training, and the implementation of a myriad of projects aimed at raising the level of competence and adapting qualifications to the needs of higher economic performance. In addition to free public education at all levels of learning, the educational reform provides for compulsory schooling until the age of 16. The percentage of school-age children of both sexes in full-time education is in excess of 99%. The new curricula prepare pupils and students for meeting the challenges of modern life and aim to instill in them with the values of openness, tolerance and civic responsibility. A focus is put on foreign language acquisition and computer technologies. A large-scale effort is underway to quickly connect all businesses as well as all education and research establishments to the Internet. (**) See also the National Report on Human Development (in PDF format) and the National Statistics Institute website Women: equality and participation: Since 1987, various steps have been taken to consecrate the new status of women as real partners with men. Women today enjoy their full rights and assume a major role in the development process and in all walks of life. This success is also reflected in women's accession to the various sectors of work, production and investment. Politics is no exception, as there are today 7 women in the Cabinet. Women also constitue 22.7 % of the members of the Chamber of Deputies and 15% of the members of the Chamber of Advisors. Diplomacy:President Ben Ali's foreign policy includes among its priorities working for regional integration in the Maghreb, inter-Arab consensus-building and co-operation, and Euro-Mediterranean co-development. Under Ben Ali's leadership, Tunisia has actively contributed to the search for a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, offering an unwavering and concrete support to the Middle East peace process. Ben Ali's chairmanship of the Organization of African Unity in 1994 demonstrated a strong commitment to seeking negotiated solutions to the conflicts shaking the continent and to preventing armed confrontations in Africa. More on Tunisia's foreign policy During his visits abroad, his meetings with the Heads of state and Kings and his discussions with world leaders, President Ben Ali invariably pleads the cause of a more just, more united, more stable and more prosperous world. In his view, globalization should be a source of universal progress and mutual development, not a factor of imbalance or domination. In 1999, he announced an initiative for the creation of a World Solidarity Fund to fight more efficiently poverty and marginalization all over the world. The UN General Assembly voted in December 2002 to adopt a resolution calling for the creation of the Fund List of Cabinet Members