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President Ben Ali announces constitutional reform initiative

Tunis 7 November 2001 (Tunisiaonline)

In a major address to the nation on the occasion of his accession to office, President Zine El Abidine announced a major
constitutional reform to pave the way for "the Republic of the future" in Tunisia.

He said, "Our commitment to Republican values is firm and unshakable. We believe in the sovereignty of the people, the primacy of the Constitution and the inviolability of the institutions. We also believe in the values of liberty, democracy, justice, pluralism and
human rights."

He added, "we today announce, out of faithfulness to our commitments, for the sake of the future, for the sake of the Republic, for
the sake of democracy, pluralism, human rights, the integral and balanced development of our country and the well-being of our people… we announce our intention to introduce a fundamental constitutional reform bill which will enable us to achieve a quantum leap in our political system building on the gains and achievements our country has made, and paving the way for the Republic of tomorrow."

After its independence from France in 1956, Tunisia chose in July 195 to abolish the monarchy. Its parliament has consisted up to
now in one chamber, "the Chamber of Deputies".

The new constitutional reform, said President Ben Ali, "will give human rights and freedoms, in the universal and comprehensive
character of their principles and in the complementarity and interdependence of their dimensions, a special place in the text of the Constitution." It will also further protect citizens private lives and consecrate the inviolability of communications and personal data.

The proposed Constitutional amendment will include provisions putting police custody under the control of courts and subjecting it
to prior judicial authorization

Constitutional reform will "confirm the role of the State and society in the consecration of the values of solidarity, mutual aid and
tolerance among individuals, social categories and generations".

Reforms also also affect provisions regarding presidential elections. "While reaffirming our commitment to the principles set out in
the November 7th Declaration and relating to abrogation of life presidency and automatic succession, being so much convinced that the will of the people could not be firmly established otherwise, and while insisting our the importance of maintaining the maximum age for eligibility to the presidency of the Republic, we will apply ourselves to seeking effective means to consecrate pluralism at the forthcoming presidential elections," said President Ben Ali.

Another objective of the reform will be to effect "some change in governmental action and in the relationship between the Government and the Chamber of Deputies, and by making the control exercised by the Chamber of Deputies over the Government more effective."
Constitutional provisions will regulate the holding of hearings where members of the executive branch are questioned by legislators.

A major change brought about by the reform will be the introduction of a two-chamber parliamentary system. "The proposed reform will be focused on a broader representation of the regions and the different components of society through establishment of a second chamber beside the Chamber of Deputies so as to enrich the legislative function and political life in general, " he said.

A bill is also to be introduced regarding the administrative and financial organization of the Chamber of Deputies.

The reform will "focus on reinforcing the neutrality and independence of the members of the Constitutional Council which will have to
take charge of the operations of presidential and legislative elections in all their stages". Reforms will also include amending the Electoral Code to facilitate voter registration and to allow all the parties engaged in the elections to better monitor their progress.

At the end of his speech, President Ben Ali said he was deeply impressed and touched by appeals made by Tunisians of all leanings and walks of life for him to continue assuming the high office of the country… "I warmly thank them for that… May Tunisia enjoy for ever greater glory, dignity and invulnerability… May the Republic and its institutions enjoy for ever greater strength and progress thanks to the reforms that will concern them, with God's blessing'," he concluded.


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