ELECTION FOR NEW CHAMBER OF ADVISORS: NO SURPRISES

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 001455

SIPDIS

STATE FOR NEA/MAG, NEA/FO, NEA/PI, DRL
PARIS FOR ZEYA
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/04/2015
TAGS: PGOV KDEM KMPI TS
SUBJECT: ELECTION FOR NEW CHAMBER OF ADVISORS: NO SURPRISES


Classified By: Amb. William Hudson for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d)


1. (U) Summary: RCD loyalists won all contested seats in
predictable elections on July 3 for the Chamber of Advisors,
a second Parliamentary chamber created by a 2002
constitutional amendment. While GOT spokesmen congratulated
the country on a substantive step towards democracy, most
Tunisians were disinterested in an election that is seen as
having little impact on political decision-making. End
Summary.


2. (U) Elections for the Chamber of Advisors, a second
parliamentary chamber created by a 2002 constitutional
amendment, were held on July 3. 4555 voters participated in
the elections (4366 municipal counselors, deputies, and
mayors plus the 189 members of the Chamber of Deputies, the
first house of Parliament). Of the 4555 voters, only 305
belong to opposition parties (268 municipal counselors and 37
members of the Chamber of Deputies). The composition of the
Chamber of Advisors as specified in the constitutional
amendment is 126 members, divided into three groups. 43
members represent the 24 governorates of Tunisia, 41 members
are directly appointed by the President, and 42 are elected
from professional organizations, including 14 from the
Tunisian Union of Industry, Commerce, and Artisans (UTICA),
14 from the National Farmer and Fishermen's Union (UNAP),and
14 members representing the General Union of Tunisian Workers
(UGTT). However, the UGTT refused to table candidates for
the election, making the total number of contested seats 112.


3. (U) At a May 23 meeting of its administrative committee,
the UGTT decided not to take part in the Chamber of Advisor
elections citing the inability of the members of the
organization to freely choose representatives for the
election ballot. However, on June 16, the GOT announced that
the non-participation of the UGTT would not prevent the
elections from taking place. It is unclear whether the 14
vacant seats dedicated to the UGTT will be divided between
UTICA and UNAP, or if the GOT will further press or make
concessions to UGTT in order to secure its participation.


4. (U) Unsurprisingly, RCD loyalists won all 43 seats
representing the governorates, as well as the 28 contested
seats from UTICA and UTAP, both of which are closely allied
with the GOT. None of the six opposition parties presented
candidates, reportedly due to the overwhelming majority of
RCD members on the electoral board. Notable among those
elected from UTICA was Joseph Roger Bismuth, president of the
Jewish Community in Tunisia. No date has been set for the
first sitting of the Chamber of Advisors, nor has the GOT
announced when the 43 presidential appointments for the
Chamber will be made.


5. (C) Comment: Despite the rhetoric repeated in
GOT-influenced and owned papers after the election citing
advancements in pluralistic democracy and legislative power,
the Chamber of Advisors will likely play a minimal role in
the political process. While in theory the creation of a
second chamber representing all regions and a diverse section
of civil society organizations would signify democratic
advancement, there is a valid concern that the chamber will
serve, like the Chamber of Deputies, as largely a
rubber-stamp body for the executive branch. The 2002
constitutional amendment which created the Chamber of
Advisors was drafted principally to extend Ben Ali's mandate;
to detract from this, the RCD padded the amendment with
supposed deomcratic advances such as the second chamber. End
Comment.
HUDSON