Tunisia At The Rendez-vous With Destiny
By Mustapha Marrouchi
26 December, 2014
Countercurrents.org
A leap, a giant leap! That is what the little big country, Tunisia, has achieved on December 21, 2014, after four years of trepidations: social unrest, violence and counter-violence, despair. As the country looks ahead, it must feel a tremendous pride in setting a precedent for democracy in the Arab world, an Arab world riddled with injustice, corruption, and dictatorship. Indeed, Tunisia was the first to rid itself of a hollow man who ruled it with an iron fist for almost a quarter of a century and the first country to pave the road for the future, a future where all Tunisians will be able to live with dignity.
Now that the elections are over, now that a parliament and a president are elected by the people, the governing body, dominated by Nida Tounes led by Baji Caid Essebssi (the president-elect), prepares itself to sit for five years, it must look ahead and strive to reconcile all the parties in order to heal all the open wounds: unemployment, corruption, inequality, education, tourism, the economy—the latter is on its knees. The task will not be easy, but feasible. One thing is for sure: the country is poised to lead the way for democratic reforms in a region that is underdeveloped, a region where the very fabric of society is being torn by terrorism, tribal warfare (Libya is a case in point), and reliogiosity. For Tunisia, change must come from within: the country has an incredible reservoir of youth and that is highly educated, emancipated, and ambitious.
The success of the elections in Tunisia also opened the door for the West (Europe and the US in particular) to pump some money in the economy of the country. Now that Tunisia answered the call of democracy and the rule of law, it is only fair to think of a Marshall Plan similar to the one that Germany benefitted from after World War II. This is the time, better still, a golden opportunity to make the difference as well as to make of Tunisia a beacon of hope for other countries not only in the region but also in the rest of the world to follow. Unlike Algeria and Libya on either side, Tunisia has no oil, yet the country has managed against all odds to claim a place in the auditorium of nations bent on doing better for their people so that they may live peacefully and with dignity. Now that Tunisia has done so, it must not be left to its own demise. Indeed, what is required is a boost that will shoulder the effort in every field (economic, agricultural, educational) so that a future is shaped for the people who have so far lived in desperate conditions. It is a must of the first order. Otherwise, every sacrifice during the last four years would have been in vain.
My hope is that Tunisians themselves set out to tighten their belts and forge ahead. Every hope, every wish, every dream must be entertained. The romantic period of the revolution is over and done with. In fact, it must give birth to a new energy, real and concrete, that will see the country dust its feathers and spread is wings. To do so, all Tunisians must adhere to a code of honor: civility, hard work, and above all, ambition to do things differently. It is a well-nigh call. I hope it will be properly answered. Only then, will we be cable to speak of Tunisia the Beautiful. The time has come. Let us roll our sleeves and look forward to the day we can say: Tunisia is free at last!
Dr. Mustapha Marrouchi is an internationally renowned literary and cultural critic. He is the author of half a dozen
books, including Edward Said at the Limits. He lives on border line between America, Europe, and Africa.
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