Date Printed: 11/06/2008 JTS Box Number: IFES 12 Tab Number: 32 Document Title: Pre-Election Technical Assessment: Tunisia Document Date: 1993 Document Country: Tunisia IFES ID: R01908 ~~I~ I~~I~ ~II ~I~ F - A B A F B C A * PRE-ELECTION TECHNICAL AssESSMENT TuNISIA December 15 - December 22, 1993 Jeff FISCher Dr. Clement Henry DO NOT REMOVE FROM IFES RESOURCE CENTER! INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR ELECTORAL SYSTEMS Pre-Election Technical Assessment: TUNISIA December 15 - December 22, 1993 Jeff Fischer Dr. Clement Henry January 31, 1994 Adila R. La"idi - Program Officer, North Africa and the Near East Keith Klein - Director of Programs, Africa and the Near East This report was made possible through funding by the United States Agency for International Development ! TABLE OF CONTENTS [. I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. .. 1 r. II. INTRODUCTION' . .. 3 r: m. CONTEXT OF DEMOCRATIZATION .......................... 5 A. Geographical Context . .. 6 B. The Pace of Democratization ............................ 9 r: C. Recent Events ..................................... 11 [] IV. LAWS AND REGULATIONS ................................ 14 A. Constitution ....................................... 14 B. Electoral Law ..................................... 14 L C. Other Relevant Laws ................................. 16 L V. ELECTORAL~lNSTITUTIONS_AND.OFFICIALS ................... 19 VI. POLmCAL-PARTIES'ANDCAMPAIGNING: ..................... 21 L A. Democratic~Constitutiona1Rally :(RCD).' ....................... '. 21 B. Movement· of Socialist Democrats:(MDS),>., ........... _.......... 22 r C. At-Tajdid '(Movementfor ReneWal). ... ... 23 D. PopularUnity Party· (PUP) ............................. 24 [ E. Progressive Socialist Rally (RSP) .......................... 24 F. Social Party for Progress (PSP) . 25 G. Unionist Democratic Union (UDU) ..........' ................ 25 t H. The Nahda ....................................... 25 I. Other Opposition Parties ............................... 27 (1 J. Political Campaigning . .. 28 u VII. CONSTITUENCY DELIMITATION ............................ 30 VIII. VOTER REGISTRATION .................................. 31 IX. ELECTION MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT AND OPERATIONS ........... 33 X. ELECTION OBSERVATION ................................ 35 XI. RECOMMENDATIONS ................................... 37 A. Electoral Laws ..................................... 37 B. Election.Administration ' ................................. 38 C. Political. Campaigning . .. 39 D. Voter Registration .................................... 39 E. Ballot System . .. 40 F. Ballot Boxes ........................................ 41 G. Polling Stations .................................... 42 H.. Civic·and.voter education' ............................... 42 XII. CONCLUSION ......................................... 43 APPENDICES APPENDIX I Polling station notice APPENDIX II Polling station proces verbal APPENDIX III Example press notice on voter registration APPENDIX IV Electoral list/Poll book r i f: [] A PRE-ELECTION TECHNICAL ASSESSMENT: TUNISIA [' December 15 through December 22, 1993 ~·.1, r ; n I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ti The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (lFES) is a nonprofit organization which [1• provides technical services and research support for election authorities and other institutions in emerging, evolving and established democracies. I.,i IFES conducted a pre-election technical assessment in Tunisia from December 15 to 22 1993 in anticipation of presidential and parliamentary elections on March 20, 1994. The delegation [J consisted of Jeffrey Fischer, IFES Chief of Staff and Dr. Clement Henry, professor of government and Middle East Studies· at the University of Texas at Austin. This assessment mission was made possible through a grant provided by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through the Near East and South Asia Bureau and the Global Affairs Bureau. In their assessment of the electoral process, Mr. Fischer and Dr. Henry met with representatives of the ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior and Justice. The delegation met with representatives of the ruling party as well as the major opposition parties. Academics and retired government officials were also consulted. On December 22, the Tunisian Parliament passed a new electoral code which introduced a limited proportional representation into the election of Members of Parliament. Under this new legislation, it is widely believed that opposition parties could win up to 19 seats. All 141 seats in the Parliament are now occupied by members of the ruling Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD). This mission offered the unique opportunity to discuss the new law in its final days IFES TUNISIA PROJECT Pre-election Assessment Mission before passage and assess the impact of these statutory changes on political life, campaigns and the electoral process. These changes must be evaluated in a context which includes politics, geography and recent events in Tunisia. For example, the volatile political situations in Algeria and Egypt were cited by many of those interviewed as examples of breakdowns in the political and security elements in a society which Tunisians want to avoid at home. This justification appears at the forefront of President Zine-El-Abidine Ben Ali's actions against political activity by Islamists. The administration of elections is divided among ministries, levels of government and special commissions. The campaign for national office is two weeks long with a moratorium on political activity the day before voting. The RCD has developed a dominant political position in terms of elected officials, resources and membership. Opposition parties include the Movement of Social Democrats (MDS), Ettajdid (former Communist Party of Tunisia), Popular Unity Party (PUP), Progressive Socialist Rally (RSP), Social Party for Progress (PSP), Unionist Democratic Union (UDU), and the illegal Nahda Party. Most opposition parties have taken the step of announcing their endorsements of Ben Ali for re-election. This report makes several recommendations including further changes to the association and electoral laws; consolidating the administration of elections into a single, independent authority; greater political openness; lengthening the period of political campaigning; centralizing the system of voter registration; changing the multiple ballot system; using security seals on ballot boxes; and, reducing the number of polling stations. It also recommends the invitation of an international observers delegation to observe the conduct of the campaign and polling day activities. 2 IFES TUNISIA PROJECf Pre-election Assessment Mission L II. INTRODUCTION [] The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES)' is a non-profit, nonpolitical and trFl nonpartisan foundation established in 1987 through a grant from·the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The IFES mandate is to provide technical services and C research support for the electoral authorities and other institutions in emerging, evolving and established democracies. Since its inception, IFES has worked in over 65 countries. IFES B project activities include pre-election technical assessments, on-site technical assistance, election worker training, election commodities, voter and civic education and election observation. IFES [1 research support includes the establishment of an election resource center, organizing l conferences and publications. [J IFES sent a delegation to Tunisia to conduct a pre-election assessme~t in anticipation of the U presidential. and legislative elections scheduled for.March·20, 1994. The delegation, consisting of Jeffrey Fischer, IFES Chief of Staff, and Dr. Clement Henry, professor of government and D Middle East Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, proceeded to visit Tunisia from December 15, to 22, and consulted with government officials, political party leaders, and U independent observers. This delegation was to have been accompanied by Adila Laidi, Program Officer for North Africa and the Near East and project manager for this mission. Shortly before U the initiation of the mission, however, Tunisian government representatives rescinded her r1.1 invitation, stating their expectation that the assessment team would include only American U citizens. As a result of this change, the IFES team lost its Arabic speaker and three days of on­ site work time while the issue was under discussion. The team's objectives were to review the following subjects : • The role of the government, the ministry of interior, and the national electoral authority 3 IFES TUNISIA PROJECf Pre-election Assessment Mission in election administration; . • Review of the constitution, the electoral map, law and ancillary legislation; • Establishment and· maintenance of voter registries; . • Civic education and voter information and motivation; • Political-parties' participation· and attitude.to the electoral. process; • Distribution, collection and security of ballots; • Voting process; • Identification of election equipment self-sufficiency; • Vote tabulation and certification of results; • Framework for adjudicating grievances before and after the election; On December 22, the Tunisian Parliament passed a revised electoral law which defined new proportional representation rules -for- the election of some of its members. Under this ,new legislation, up to at least 19 seats may be won by members of opposition.parties. The ruling Democratic Constitutional'Rally (RCD) holds at