ENSEMBLE, NOUS RELEVONS LES DEFIS

October 5, 2009 - President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali gave to "Afrique Magazine" monthly an interview which was published in its October 2009 issue.

The interview was conducted by Mr. Zyad Limam, Director General and Editor of the magazine.

President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali highlighted the considerable gains of Tunisia, which are the fruit of a forward-looking vision and the implementation of a long succession of programmes and reforms.

"His pride, what he feels is the work of his life, is to be the person who has put the country on the track of progress," writes the journalist in his introduction to this interview.

The editor of "Afrique Magazine" stresses "recurring frequently" terms in the Head of State's answers: "work, programme, patriotism and follow-up."

The interview addresses different themes, such as achievements, economic progress, political progress, youth, women, stability, as well as the President's attachment to the Palestinian cause.

Here is the full text of this interview:

"Afrique Magazine: What are, according to you, the main profound societal transformations Tunisia has witnessed since your accession to power ?

President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali: The past two decades witnessed numerous accomplishments, but also fundamental changes. From a country on the verge of bankruptcy and chaos in 1987, Tunisia is now cited as a model of success. Today, Tunisia is a country of solidarity, freedom and equal opportunities for all citizens; a country where one can enjoy quality living.

Within a period of two decades, Tunisia has been elevated to the rank of an emerging country. According to the Davos World Economic Forum, the Tunisian economy ranks first in Africa and among the top 40 countries in the world, in terms of competitiveness. The political scene, formerly based on the one-party system, has now become pluralistic. The various reforms we have adopted have anchored the rule of law, promoted good governance and offered a climate of stability and social peace.

The new generations, who entered school or working life after the Change of 1987, are dynamic and ambitious. With achievements and accomplishments in all fields, these generations are now progressing in a society that encourages initiative and creativity.

These new generations are open-minded and dynamic. Their mastery of modern sciences and communication technologies illustrates well our country's remarkable progress toward the knowledge-based society and the intelligence-based economy.

We are particularly proud of the model of solidarity-based society that we have managed to establish, making sure all segments of society and all regions of the country benefit from the fruits of economic growth. We have also enhanced the culture of free enterprise and effort for achieving self-development.

We have also laid the ground for a pluralistic political scene and for a civil society committed to democratic and citizenship values. Today, Tunisia is a prosperous society where the rate of home-ownership amounts to 80% and where all citizens are offered the same rights and opportunities, away from any form of gender-based on region-based discrimination. These facts provide guarantees for our country to firmly pursue its advancement and meet the challenges of the future.

Afrique Magazine: Tunisia is continuously receiving favourable international rankings. How do you explain the country's economic success? Is there a Tunisian specificity?

President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali: As you said, the Tunisian economy has made remarkable performances thanks to which it has received positive assessments from international institutions and specialised bodies. All indicators bear witness to the positive results achieved by our country: a continuous economic growth since 1988 averaging around 5% per annum, a per capita income that has quadrupled and currently stands at 5,000 dinars and a diversified economic platform with a strong boost for sectors with high technological value such as mechanical, computer, electronic and aeronautic industries. Tunisia ranks first in Africa in terms of economic competitiveness, according to the latest ranking released by the World Economic Forum. With a middle class counting for more than three-fourths of the population, a schooling rate exceeding 99%, a life expectancy at birth increased to 74 years, and a poverty rate brought down to 3.8% of the population, Tunisia is now the best Arab country in terms of quality of life, according to the ranking of International Living. Moreover, the latest Global Peace Index report has identified Tunisia as the most peaceful in Africa.

This great performance has been achieved thanks to the reforms we have continuously adopted to modernise the means of production, liberalise the economy and improve the business climate, and also to the dynamism of our businesses and the genius and sense of sacrifice driving our people.

Considerable though they are, these gains should be enriched and consolidated, which we are determined to accomplish, notwithstanding a difficult world situation marked by the financial and economic crisis that has affected our traditional export markets, with repercussions on all the nations of the world with varying degrees. Since the eruption of the crisis, we have taken a set of measures to curb its impact on our economy, while seeking to draw from it new opportunities for growth.

This has allowed us to maintain the level of growth and to pursue the development work already underway.

Still, we remain vigilant vis-à-vis the evolution of the global crisis, hoping that the crisis will soon fade away and that remedial solutions be found for the instability of the world energy market, so that we can promptly recover all our development levers.

Afrique Magazine: Tunisia suffers from a distorted image in terms of human rights. How do you respond to these criticisms?

President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali: This image that some want to spread has nothing to do with reality. It is perhaps high time for those people to stop seeing Tunisian realities through unfounded prejudices. Tunisia is a country where respect for human rights and the continuous expansion of their scope are a tangible reality and an irrefutable fact testified to by UN specialised institutions and objective observers. Mention can be made, in this regard, of the conclusions of the UN body in charge of human rights, the Human Rights Council, which has commended Tunisia's numerous gains in terms of human rights.

Moreover, our legislation in terms of protection and promotion of human rights is in conformity with international instruments. In some cases, it goes even further. As regards the rights of children, women and disabled people and political, economic, social and cultural rights, Tunisia boasts a strong edifice which we are continually consolidating through introducing the necessary reforms. We have, in fact, opted for a gradual and comprehensive approach to promoting human rights, political, economic, cultural and social, while seeking to protect our country against all risks of regression. We are convinced that human rights are an indivisible whole. Our commitment to human rights is irreversible, and our determination to promote them comprehensively is constantand unwavering.

Afrique Magazine: You are running for a fifth presidential term in the upcoming elections of October 2009. What will be the main trump card of your campaign ? What will be your priorities for the new term of office, in case you are elected ? Some of your detractors criticise your fifth term. How do you respond to them ?

President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali: A presidential election is always a great moment in the political life of a country that has opted for a presidential system.

As far as I am concerned, I would like, first of all, to say that I am deeply proud of the great confidence placed in my person by the largest majority of my fellow citizens by choosing me as candidate for the upcoming presidential elections. I am aware of the weight of this responsibility. But I have confidence in my fellow citizens whose adherence to our policy is unwavering and has always been a guarantee of success.

As regards the electoral campaign, it has not started yet. I can, however, affirm that we will rely, once again, on the intelligence and adherence of our people to our policy which has allowed us to accomplish major achievements in a short period of time. We will forge ahead with promoting solidarity-based development and strive to make further strides for our country, through a vast program that we will present to our fellow citizens during the electoral campaign.

If the Tunisian people, the only holder of sovereignty, renew their confidence in my person during the forthcoming elections, it will be our duty to enrich the gains accomplished during the past couple of decades, while focusing our efforts on achieving the goal we have set, namely, preparing Tunisia to promptly join the ranks of developed nations. Now that we have placed the country on the path of growth and progress, we are determined to further promote development, which will help further create more wealth, and provide a larger number of jobs, especially for university graduates. We are also determined to usher Tunisia in a new, more advanced stage of democracy.

Our program traces, within a set period of time, the path to be pursued in order to continually consolidate our gains, and to accelerate our country's advancement toward a higher level of development, taking into consideration the global environment in all its dimensions.

We have no other ambition but to serve our people. We will spare no sacrifice for the sake of meeting their aspirations. We are convinced that in a democracy, it is the will of the people, expressed through the ballot, which prevails above all considerations. This being said, we willingly accept any objective criticism that can help us move forward.

Afrique Magazine: Given the quasi-unanimity around your candidacy, what can your competitors do? Is it possible for the Opposition to make heard its voice and play its cards?

President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali: It is in response to the appeals of our people that we accepted to stand as candidate for the forthcoming elections. I take this opportunity to renew my gratitude to the Tunisian people for their confidence and constant support, which have made it possible for us to accomplish so many achievements for our country. At any rate, what counts, in the end, is the vote of the electors.

Opposition parties have all the necessary means to make heard their voice and to solicit the votes of the electorate.

They can communicate their points of view directly to the electors, or through the media. They can also check the regularity of the voting process at all stages, from registration on electoral rolls to the voting and the counting of votes, as their representatives will be present at polling stations. All candidates have equal-time access to public media. We have reinforced the prerogatives of the Higher Communication Council to guarantee the equal treatment of candidates, as required by the law. Moreover, a National Elections Observatory, chaired by a renowned lawyer and former president of the Bar, monitors the regularity of the voting process and the neutrality of the administration. In case of contestation, candidates can refer their cases to the Constitutional Council and, if need be, to courts.

It is to be recalled that Tunisia is open to observers from sisterly and friendly countries who wish to visit our country on the occasion of these elections, so that they can themselves notice the dynamism of our political life and the credibility of our electoral system.

We have taken all the necessary measures to guarantee the transparency of elections, and the free exercise, by all citizens, of their right to suffrage. We have confidence in our people and in all the concerned parties to make of the forthcoming elections, due on October 25, 2009, a great moment for democracy and fair competition.

Afrique Magazine: It seems that the young have become a major concern to you. The voting age has been lowered to 18 years. The year 2008 was the year of dialogue with the youth. Why this particular interest? How could you describe this "Ben Ali generation?"

President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali: The young are always at the heart of my policy and my action. To give you an idea, I may point out to you that most of the social transfers which represent annually about 50% of the national budget, benefit the youth, in the sectors of education, training, employment, new communication technologies, sport and health. The different development programs in Tunisia benefit directly or indirectly up to 80% of that section of the population.

We have always been ready to listen to the youth. We have thus undertaken periodic consultations of youth, which we have held regularly since 1996 to collect the opinions and suggestions of our young people prior to working out the five-year development plans. Last year, we launched a wide-ranging consultation which involved more than four hundred thousand young people, and resulted in the adoption of a National Youth Pact, the first of its kind in Africa and in the Arab world. I was particularly happy to learn that the pact on which we rely in developing the national youth strategy for the years to come, has already been signed by more than a million young people.

We are constantly preparing the ground for our young people so as to guarantee for them the conditions of a radiant future. We have taken various measures to ensure their education and their training, as well as their integration into working life and their participation in political life.

As an example, the lowering of the voting age to 18 years should enable more than five hundred thousand additional young people to vote for the first time, and thus join other young people who take part in the vote, not only as electors, but also as candidates in the legislative elections, considering that the candidacy age for the Chamber of Deputies has been reduced to 23 years.

"The Ben Ali generation", as you call it, is educated and enterprising. It has benefited from favorable conditions for initiative and innovation. Because of that, it is more demanding and more ambitious. Isn't the future of any country the very future of its youth?

So we will continue to work for our young generation, which is to us a source of pride and optimism as regards the future of Tunisia.

Afrique Magazine: Is the policy of Tunisian women's emancipation still a priority of your government?

President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali: The promotion of women's rights is, naturally, part of our modernist approach which aims to lay the foundations of a society turned toward progress and immune to obscurantist and retrograde currents.

Our wager on women is a strategic choice, which stems from our conviction that no society is able to achieve sustainable progress if half its population is marginalised. That is why we have caused the Personal Status Code promulgated in 1956, to be amended several times, and we have opened new perspectives for Tunisian women who are a source of our pride, being a symbol of modernity in our country. It just goes to show that we are particularly proud of the gains made by our country in that field.

To give you an idea of the place held by women in Tunisia, I may cite a few examples: girls account for 59% of university students, women constitute a quarter of the working population, and their representation in the elected bodies is growing: 22.7% of the members of parliament, 27% of the municipal councillors. After the upcoming legislative elections, women should occupy at least 30% of the seats. This shows our firm determination to always forge ahead with reinforcing the rights of Tunisian women.

Afrique Magazine: Do you think that 2009 will be the year of peace between Palestinians and Israelis, between Arabs and Israelis?

President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali: We have made the Palestinian cause and the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to found an independent State with Al-Quds al- Sharif as its capital, our own cause since we deem it unacceptable that the Palestinian people continue to suffer from numerous denials of rights and from countless aggressions, regardless of all the international conventions. This situation cannot and should not go on any longer. It is time to put an end to the injustices and humiliations inflicted on the Palestinians by the Israeli occupying forces.

Tunisia, which has always been committed to peace and security for all peoples in the region, will spare no effort to ensure that a just and comprehensive peace will be established in the Middle East. We will continue to support all steps aimed at finding equitable and lasting solutions to the Palestinian problem and the Israeli-Arab conflict. I again appeal to the international community, in general, and to the Quartet, in particular, to intensify and accelerate their efforts to encourage new negotiations based on respect of international legality, and to bring Israel round to ending its settlements activities and its aggressive practices. In this regard, I welcome the new initiatives taken by the American president, Barack Obama, and I express the hope that these initiatives, along with the support of the international community and all the influential parties, will help create a new climate conducive to the peaceful settlement of the region's problems.

Afrique Magazine: One year after the big summit of July 13 in Paris, what is, in your view, the true role of the Union for the Mediterranean: to help make peace in the Near-East or to encourage the countries of the South to impede emigration to the North? For Tunisia, what is the more urgent and more useful work to pursue within the framework of the Union?

President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali: We were among the first countries to support President Sarkozy's initiative which led to the establishment of the Union for the Mediterranean (UPM), strong as we were with our belief, expressed on several occasions, that the Mediterranean should be a space for peace, security and shared progress, uniting all peoples on both shores for a common objective.

We continue to place our hopes in the Union, even though we are mindful that it will not be able to resolve everything, given the extent of the challenges to be met. But, let us be clear about it, the UPM is an opportunity to seize in order to render our Mediterranean region a model of cooperation and solidarity, of mutually beneficial investments, of human exchanges and inter-cultural dialogue. To live up to the expectations of member countries, it is certainly desirable to embark on the realisation of concrete projects, in the fields of infrastructures, environment, education and science, in short, in all sectors that have a visible impact on the life of populations. In this perspective, the priority works already agreed upon, should rapidly receive adequate financing to be able to get off the ground.

Afrique Magazine: What is the current status of your co-operation with Europe?

President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali: The importance of our relations with Europe, in my view, is no longer to be demonstrated. To give an idea of the current status, it would be sufficient to recall that Tunisia, since last year, has been the first country on the southern shore of the Mediterranean, to share a free-trade area with the European Union, after being also, in July 1995, the first country on the southern shore to conclude an association agreement with the E.U. Tunisia and the European Union are currently in a new phase of "advanced partnership" which opens up new vistas for still deeper relations. Our country is today the first site of European investments south of the Mediterranean (per capita), which we note with satisfaction while at the same time expressing the hope to see our European partners play a more significant role in support of our development efforts.

It is equally desirable, in my view, to stimulate the Barcelona Euro-Mediterranean process of which our country was and remains one of the mainsprings, particularly by improving procedures and paying greater attention to the human and cultural aspect of our partnership. Our ambition is to make our relations with the European space a model of co-development and complementarity based on mutual respect and sovereignty of all States.