Juan Cole: The rest of the Arab world is transfixed by the Tunisian elections.

[pampango]

Since there has been a strong “demonstration effect” in the Arab world from Tunisian events, with the Egyptians and Libyans emulating Tunisian techniques of protest and reform. A successful election and democratic experiment could have a huge impact in the region.

Even more remarkable than the revolution of last January, to my mind, is the widespread conviction on the part of Tunisians that the way forward is liberal, parliamentary democracy. Thus, Sunday’s election of a constituent assembly that will fashion a new constitution and form an interim government is in some ways the real revolution. For decades, most Arab states implicitly accepted the Leninist critique of parliaments as mere instruments of plutocracy and wholly unrepresentative. But it turns out that the main alternative to parliamentary democracy is not direct democracy but rather oppressive dictatorship masquerading as the latter.

Tunisia is a small country of 10.5 million, with 4.4 million registered voters. Astonishingly, almost all those registered voters went to the polls on Sunday, with an estimated turnout of 80- 90%. The thirst for democracy demonstrated by such a statistic is mind-boggling. (Americans won’t now remember this issue, but they were wild about the deeply flawed elections in Iraq in January of 2005, conducted amidst bombings and assassinations and under the tutelage of a foreign military occupation; turn-out there was in the end estimated some 30 points less than what we just saw in Tunisia).

Tunisia’s censorship bureau, the “Ministry of Information,” was abolished last spring, and the press and television is relatively free and lively. The most-watched television station is a fierce critic of the interim prime minister. Tunisia is the only Arab country without state censorship.

7472 persons, including 533 foreigners, were accredited as election observers, with the presence of 15 international organizations.

http://www.juancole.com/2011/10/surprises-of-the-tunisian-election.html

Tunisia has a long way to go, but this is a good start.

[xchrom]

1. recommend

[glowing]

2. This is wonderful.. Here's hoping to a truly democratic future with

a mind to equality, liberty, and righteous justice. I do hope that they do create a free society, pay heed to the infiltrators trying to under mind a "new" nation, and that there is equality for women... and a freedom of religion and information. It seems they are on a good path going forward. I do hope they emerge as a beautiful butterfly.