Tunisia’s contested referendum

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.

Episoder(477)

At least on Iran, Trump has clear message

At least on Iran, Trump has clear message

US President Donald Trump's second United Nations General Assembly was, to say the least, uneven. It started off when he showed up late to his speech at the general debate, then 20 minutes late to th...

27 Sep 201820min

A summer of reform in the UAE

A summer of reform in the UAE

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, announced the Tomorrow 2021 plan this week. It includes 50 initiatives to spur growth in areas su...

19 Sep 201815min

The cultural importance of rebuilding Mosul; Child mortality rates in Afghanistan on the rise

The cultural importance of rebuilding Mosul; Child mortality rates in Afghanistan on the rise

Iraq needs two billion dollars to revive its cultural heritage and renovate areas destroyed by ISIS. But the country says it does not have the capacity to rebuild without support from the internationa...

12 Sep 201817min

Iraq's parliament starts off on wrong foot; the US-Palestine relationship

Iraq's parliament starts off on wrong foot; the US-Palestine relationship

The first day of Iraq's new parliament was a chaotic one. Where does the new government go from here? Also, the US administration is proposing a solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict, but it's one...

5 Sep 201818min

How does Caspian Sea demarcation affect Iran?

How does Caspian Sea demarcation affect Iran?

The Caspian Sea is the biggest enclosed body of water on earth, but depending who you ask, it’s either the largest lake in the world or a small inland sea. Either way, it has been a source of conflic...

29 Aug 201819min

The view from Hajj; Rohingya refugee update

The view from Hajj; Rohingya refugee update

This week Beyond the Headlines hosts two interviews from two different corners of the Muslim world — celebration at Hajj, and an update on the ongoing Rohingya crisis.  In Makkah, where over two mill...

22 Aug 201823min

Why the Strait of Hormuz is so important

Why the Strait of Hormuz is so important

Maritime oil trade from the Arabian Peninsula relies exclusively on two strategic chokepoints: The Strait of Hormuz, to the UAE’s north, and Bab Al Mandeb to the south. Despite efforts to diversify t...

15 Aug 201814min

The importance of the Bab Al Mandeb strait

The importance of the Bab Al Mandeb strait

The Bab-el-Mandeb strait is just 18 miles wide, but a large slice of global trade passes through its vital waters every day. To its north is a war zone in Yemen, and to its south sits Djibouti, a tiny...

8 Aug 201817min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
forklart
i-retten
stopp-verden
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
nokon-ma-ga
popradet
det-store-bildet
rss-gukild-johaug
dine-penger-pengeradet
fotballpodden-2
aftenbla-bla
rss-ness
e24-podden
hanna-de-heldige
rss-dannet-uten-piano
frokostshowet-pa-p5
bt-dokumentar-2