Tunisia’s contested referendum
Beyond the Headlines22 Heinä 2022

Tunisia’s contested referendum

For more than a decade, Tunisia was seen as the poster child for democratic transition after the Arab Uprisings of 2011. By 2014 the country had had two free and fair elections and ratified a new constitution. But the consensus-building that went into drafting that new constitution soon dissolved, leaving behind partisan bickering and political deadlock.

Successive governments and parliaments failed to deliver on the socioeconomic demands that had driven the revolution: jobs were still scarce, prices were rising, and the basic services you expect from your government — everything from rubbish collection to transportation — weren’t working. The economy tanked; inflation rose; tens of thousands of young Tunisians hopped on rickety boats, trying to get to Italy. People’s dissatisfaction with their government grew. Protests raged on the streets in the winter of 2020 and spring of 2021. They wanted change.

Then, in July last year, President Kais Saied fired his government, shuttered parliament and essentially took full control of the country, saying it was the only way to stop the political deadlock. Now he’s asking Tunisians to vote in a referendum this Monday to ratify a new constitution — one it appears he’s written almost entirely himself.

This week on Beyond the Headlines, Erin Clare Brown investigates Tunisia’s constitutional referendum — and explains what it means not just for the country but for the wider region.

Jaksot(478)

How can anyone feel safe in Lebanon after the deadly pager attacks?

How can anyone feel safe in Lebanon after the deadly pager attacks?

Thousands in Lebanon were injured and at least 32 people were killed this week in a double attack believed to have been conducted by Israel. On Tuesday, thousands of pagers in the possession of Hezbol...

20 Syys 202415min

What is left after decade of conflict in Yemen?

What is left after decade of conflict in Yemen?

Ten years ago, on September 21, 2014, Yemen’s Houthi rebels took over the capital city of Sanaa from government rule. Months later, a Saudi-led coalition intervened to support the internationally reco...

13 Syys 202415min

What is the future of Gaza’s children living without education?

What is the future of Gaza’s children living without education?

It is back to school for children all around the world, but not in Gaza. Eleven months of war in the strip have devastated lives, homes, hospitals and infrastructure. Education has been virtually eras...

6 Syys 202423min

What stands in the way of a Gaza ceasefire agreement?

What stands in the way of a Gaza ceasefire agreement?

The cycle of Gaza ceasefire talks has started to become predictable. Headlines initially spark hope with announcements of progress, only for other regional incidents to derail negotiations, leading to...

30 Elo 202417min

The challenges in containing a looming polio outbreak in Gaza

The challenges in containing a looming polio outbreak in Gaza

Children’s lives in Gaza are riddled with uncertainty. They don’t know when the next bomb will fall, where their next meal will come from or even if their families and friends are still alive. Now, an...

23 Elo 202422min

How Israeli prisons became 'a network of torture camps'

How Israeli prisons became 'a network of torture camps'

In recent weeks, human rights organisations and media investigations have documented the worsening conditions in Israeli prisons over the past 10 months. They reveal beatings and other forms of brutal...

16 Elo 202419min

France’s racial gap between the Olympics and reality

France’s racial gap between the Olympics and reality

Olympic fanfare has swept across Paris in recent weeks, but there is an elephant in the room that’s difficult to ignore – the glaring disparity between France hosting one of the most multicultural eve...

10 Elo 202424min

The weight of Israel and Hezbollah’s warfare on life in Lebanon

The weight of Israel and Hezbollah’s warfare on life in Lebanon

On Tuesday, Israeli warplanes broke the sound barrier in the skies over Lebanon, a stunt timed to coincide with Hassan Nasrallah’s speech amid a series of threats by Hezbollah towards Israel and vice ...

8 Elo 202422min

Suosittua kategoriassa Politiikka ja uutiset

aikalisa
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
tervo-halme
politiikan-puskaradio
rss-vaalirankkurit-podcast
rss-podme-livebox
et-sa-noin-voi-sanoo-esittaa
viisupodi
rss-asiastudio
otetaan-yhdet
radio-antro
linda-maria
rss-kaikki-uusiksi
rss-tasta-on-kyse-ivan-puopolo-verkkouutiset
rss-kalevi-sorsa-saation-podcast
rss-hyvaa-huomenta-bryssel
rss-merja-mahkan-rahat