• Constitutional amendment abolishing the presidency for life and of automatic succession (1988), thereby reaffirming the sovereignty of the people.
• Enactment of a law defining the legal system applicable to political parties (1988).
• Signing of the National Pact, rallying the different parties and all political and civil currents to the values of commitment to national interest, authenticity, openness and tolerance (1988).
• Amendment of Organic Law on municipalities to strengthen democracy at grassroots level (1995).
• Amendment of the Electoral Code on three occasions, in 1988, 1990 and 1993. This initiative made it possible to introduce pluralism into the Chamber of Deputies following the legislative elections of 1994. This political choice was consolidated by promulgation of the Organic Law 98-93 of November 6, 1998 amending and supplementing certain provisions of the Electoral Code. The opposition parties won nearly 20% of the seats in the Chamber of Deputies, following the October 1999 legislative elections.
• Enactment of law no. 97-48 of July 21, 1997 on public financing of political parties to increase their resources and ensure the accomplishment of their political role. This law reinforces the measures already provided for in the Electoral Code regarding the financing of the electoral campaign of candidates for the Presidency of the Republic, the Chamber of Deputies and the Municipal Councils. Such financing takes the form of advances, reimbursements or assumption, by the government, of the cost of printing the voting papers (Electoral Code).
• Promulgation of Constitutional Law 97-65 of October 27, 1997 amending and supplementing certain articles and provisions of the Constitution. The amendments are aimed at giving constitutional sanction to political parties, and therefore to the multi-party system, by setting out the role of these parties, the conditions of their establishment and the democratic principles which must underlie their activities. The amendments are also aimed at widening the scope of the referendum as a manifestation of the people's direct exercise of its sovereignty; lowering the minimum age of candidacy for the Chamber of Deputies to 23; and allowing anyone born of a Tunisian mother to stand for election, thereby consecrating equality between men and women as candidacy until then was confined to Tunisians born of a Tunisian father.
