Tunisian Elections

Today sees the first proper elections in Tunisia since the French were in charge.

This blog wishes the Tunisians well, and I must say I envy the feeling that one is taking part in something ground breaking.

Democracy, which we take for granted, can be an exciting thing.

Jan Palak for our times

Tunisia, Egypt and now according to Algerie 360 there are 30,000 riot police on the streets of Algiers. I have believed from the start that there would be a domino effect in N. Africa, and I wonder now if it could even cross the Red Sea.

How did it start? Rising food prices, years of discontent and mistrust, but the spark which ignited the tinder was on the 18th December. A young man, a university graduate, unable to find work had begun to sell fruit and vegetables in a market in Sidi Bouzid. He did not have a licence and the police confiscated his produce. He set himself on fire and died a few days later.

His name was Mohamed Bouazizi. I wonder if he will be remembered when it is all over.

The first domino?

In my post of the 12th January I voiced my fears that the unrest on the streets of the Maghreb countries could be the start of something worse. Now we see: the immovable dictator Zine Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia has gone, fled to Saudi Arabia. Ben Ali had been President since 1987, only Tunisia’s second President since independence in 1956.

He had already said he would not stand for re-election but that was not enough.

Tunisia has had growth averaging 5%, and is the most competitive economy in Africa, with the highest per capita income. It has oil and gas and what until last week was thought to be a stable government.

If Ben Ali can fall, so can the others.