On Thursday, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken expressed his country’s fears that drafting a new constitution in Tunisia could weaken democracy and erode the rights and freedoms that people have gained in the wake of the Arab Spring.
“The July 25 referendum on the Tunisian constitution witnessed low voter participation,” Blinken said in a statement. “We share the concerns of many Tunisians that the process of drafting the new constitution has restricted opportunities for real debate, and that the new constitution may weaken democracy in Tunisia and undermine respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
And the statement added: “A comprehensive and transparent reform process is necessary to move forward, to begin to restore the confidence of the millions of Tunisians who did not participate in the referendum or opposed the new constitution.”
Blinken urged the speedy adoption of a comprehensive electoral law that would facilitate the widest possible participation in the legislative elections, scheduled for next December.
Blinken praised the role of Tunisian civil society in building an inclusive political future.
Blinken described the situation in Tunisia during the last period, saying that the country witnessed a “worrying decline” of democratic values, and lost political gains that the people deserved in 2011.
Blinken said that the suspension of the constitution and the consolidation of executive power in the period since July, raised deep questions from inside and outside the country about the country’s democratic path.
Blinken pledged that the United States will continue to use all available tools to support the Tunisian people in forming a democratic and accountable government that upholds the right to debate, dissent, and human rights, and that respects the independence of the judiciary, and the separation of powers necessary for democracy.
Blinken concluded his statement by saying, “The partnership between the United States and Tunisia is at its strongest when there is a shared commitment to democracy and human rights.”
On Monday, Tunisians voted on a new draft constitution that grants wide powers to President Kais Saied and may return the country to a dictatorial regime similar to the one that existed before 2011, according to AFP.
The turnout in the referendum did not exceed 27.5 percent, according to the electoral commission.
Tunisian President Kais Saied considers the new draft constitution an extension of the “track correction” process. He started it with unexpected decisions on June 25, 2021, to monopolize the authorities in the country, dismiss the former prime minister, and freeze the work of Parliament, to dissolve it completely later.