Tunisian Political Climate from Aristocracy to Democracy and Presidential Coup: An Emerging Challenge to the Islamic Movements

Raja Umair; Hafiz Sajid Iqbal  Shaikh; Faryal  Umbreen

doi:10.32350/jitc.122.21

Raja Umair Riphah International University, Islamabad, Pakistan https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6721-2671
Hafiz Sajid Iqbal Shaikh University of Management and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1757-2844
Faryal Umbreen Dawah Center for Women, Dawah Academy, Islamabad, Pakistan https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9136-2933

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32350/jitc.122.21

Keywords: Politics, Religion, Islamic Movement, Democracy, Tunisia

Abstract

Abstract Views: 173

The popular uprising brought forth change in Tunisian presidential palace during 2011 as it entered a state of liminality while becoming a consolidated democracy from authoritarianism. However, after a decade of democratic transition, only the democratic success story of the Arab Spring is in danger after the decree of Tunisian President. This article aims to highlight that by using Article 80 of the constitution, President has seized more power; and it narrates how it contradicts the constitution and negatively impact on political scenario. Furthermore, this study provides an analysis that how certain regional countries are trying to jeopardize the democratic system. Thus, the Islamic movement of Tunisia has been possessing a lion share on Country’s political arena and is considered as the vanguard of Islamic identity and democratic process since 2011 revolution. Finally, it concludes that amid a lenient policy of Rashid Al-Ghannouchi, the founder of the Movement and speaker of the Parliament, towards Islamic doctrine in Tunisian political arena, coup from Tunisian president. Leadership of Al-Nahdah again playing a vital role to stable political climate through dialogue, but it seems that the situation is still in danger. In this article, the primary and secondary data has been analyzed by using Discourse analysis method with its approach of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA).

Keywords: Authoritarianism, Constitutional imploration, Democracy, Ennahda, islamic movement, Political crises, Presidential coup, Tunisia

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Amara, Tarek., Angus McDowall. “Tunisian Democracy in Turmoil after President Sacks Government.” Reuters, July 27, (2021), https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/tunisian-democracy-crisis-after-president-ousts-government-2021-07-26/.

Beaumont, Peter. “Kais Saied: the ‘Robocop’ President Accused of Launching Tunisia Coup.” The Guardian, July 26, (2021). https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/26/kais-saied-robocop-president-accused-launching-tunisia-coup

Cordall, Simon Speakman. “Tunisia's President Staged What Looks Like a Coup. But Democracy Isn't Dead There Yet.” TIME, July 30, (2021). https://time.com/6085811/tunisia-president-parliament-coup-democracy/

Dennison James., Jonas Draeger. “The Dynamics of Electoral Politics after the Arab Spring: Evidence from Tunisia.” The Journal of North African Studies 26, 4 (2021): 756-780, https://doi.org/10.1080/13629387.2020.1732216 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13629387.2020.1732216

Esposito John L., John O. Voll. Makers of Contemporary Islam. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195141283.001.0001

—. Tamara Sonn., John O. Voll. Islam and Democracy After the Arab Spring. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.

—. Emad El-Din Shahin. The Oxford Handbook of Islam and Politics. Oxford University Press, 2016.

Fairclough, Norman. Discourses and Social Changes. Cambridge Polity Press, 1992.

Fasanotti, Federica Saini. “Tunisia’s One-Man Show.” Geopolitical Intelligence Service AG, March 21, (2022). https://www.gisreportsonline.com/r/tunisia-coup-saied/.

Fuller, Graham E. “The Future of Political Islam.” Foreign Affairs 81, no. 2 (2002): 48-60. Accessed August 15, (2021). doi:10.2307/20033083. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/20033083

Ghannouchi, Rashid. “From Political Islam to Muslim Democracy: The Ennahda Party and the Future of Tunisia.” Foreign Affairs, 95 (5), (2016). Retrieved May 23, 2022.

Grewal, Sharan. “Winners and losers of Tunisia’s Parliamentary Elections.” Brookings, October 11, (2019). https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2019/10/11/winners-and-losers-of-tunisias-parliamentary-elections/

—. “Kais Saied’s Power Grab in Tunisia.” Brookings, July 26, (2021). https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2021/07/26/kais-saieds-power-grab-in-tunisia/

Ibrahim, S. E. “Towards Muslim Democracies.” Journal of Democracy 18 (2), (2007): 5-13. doi:10.1353/jod.2007.0025. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.2007.0025

Jebnoun, Noureddine. “Tunisia at the Crossroads: An Interview with Shaikh Rashid Ghannouchi.” ACMCU, (2014), retrieved March 25, 2022.

Kienle, Eberhard. “Egypt without Mubarak, Tunisia after Bin Ali: Theory, History and the ‘Arab Spring.” Economy and Society, Volume 41, No. 4 (2012): 532-557, DOI: 10.1080/03085147.2012.719298 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/03085147.2012.719298

Marzouki, Moncef. “Is Democracy Lost?.” Journal of Democracy 33 (1), (2022): 5-11. doi:10.1353/jod.2022.0000. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.2022.0000

Naar, Ismaeel. “Here are the 3 Presidential Decisions as Announced by Tunisia’s Kais Saied.” Al Arabiya English, https://english.alarabiya.net/features/2021/07/26/Watch-Here-are-the-3-presidential-decisions-as-announced-by-Tunisia-s-Kais-Saied.

Nassif, Hicham Bou. “Why the Military Abandoned Democracy.” Journal of Democracy 33 (1), (2022): 27-39. doi:10.1353/jod.2022.0002. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.2022.0002

Netterstrøm, Kasper Ly. “After the Arab Spring: The Islamists’ Compromise in Tunisia.” Journal of Democracy 4, (2015): 110-124. doi:10.1353/jod.2015.0055. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/jod.2015.0055

Paciello, Maria Cristina. “Changes and Challenges of Political Transition.” MEDPRO, (2011).

Parker, Claire. “Tunisia’s President Fires Prime Minister, Dismissed Government, Freezes Parliament.” The Washington Post, July 26, (2021), https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/25/tunisia-saied-mechichi-parliament/.

Radeck, Mates. “Tunisia’s Deadlocked Situation: President Saied Takes the Authoritarian Exit.” Beyond the Horizon, May 13, (2022). https://behorizon.org/tunisias-deadlocked-situation-president-saied-takes-the-authoritarian-exit/ DOI: https://doi.org/10.31175/hi.2022.01.03

Sheikh, Sajid Iqbal. “A Critical Analysis of Political Islam; Trajectories, Resistance and Discourses.” PhD Dissertation, University of Management and Technology, 2020.

Voll, John O.; Sonn, Tamara (2009). "Political Islam". Oxford Bibliographies Online Datasets, (2009). https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780195390155/obo-9780195390155-0063.xml. doi:10.1093/obo/9780195390155-0063. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/obo/9780195390155-0063

Willis, J. Michael. Politics and Power in the Maghreb: Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco from Independence to the Arab Spring. Oxford University Press, 2014.

Yerkes, Sarah E. “The Tunisia Model in Crisis; The President’s Power Grab Risks an Authoritarian Regression.” Foreign Affairs, August 06, (2021).