GOT PREVENTS LEGAL OPPOSITION PARTY FROM

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 002826

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2016
TAGS: PHUM KPAO KMPI KDEM PGOV TS
SUBJECT: GOT PREVENTS LEGAL OPPOSITION PARTY FROM
REGISTERING NEW NEWSPAPER


Classified By: Ambassador Robert F. Godec, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)


1. (C) Summary: Leaders of the legal opposition party
Democratic Forum for Labor and Liberties (FDTL) attempted to
register a new newspaper on November 16, but were denied the
necessary receipt from the Ministry of Interior (MOI) that
would allow the would-be publishers to begin the process of
authorization. Subsequent efforts to register the paper were
also denied. The MOI's refusal was not surprising given
FDTL's well-known anti-regime stance, and the GOT's
unwillingness to allow significant independent media outlets
in Tunisia. End Summary.


2. (SBU) On November 16, Mustapha Ben Jaafar, Secretary
General of opposition party Democratic Forum for Labor and
Liberties (FDTL) and Dr. Khalid Zaouia, a member of the
party's Political Bureau, attempted to submit an application
to the Ministry of Interior to publish a new newspaper. FDTL
is a small, authorized, independent party with no
representation in Parliament. Ben Jaafar is an outspoken
pro-democracy activist and regime critic and a leader of the
18 October Movement. The Tunisian press code stipulates that
to establish a newspaper, the publisher must submit a written
application including the name of the printing shop to be
used to the MOI and obtain a receipt. If, after a four-month
period the MOI does not reject the application, the newspaper
is automatically authorized and may begin publication. In
the past, the Ministry of Interior has refused to accept
applications from other independent NGOs and opposition
parties seeking to create newspapers, allowing the Ministry
to de facto refuse the publication, without having to give an
official explanation.


3. (SBU) According to a November 21 FDTL communique, Jaafar
and Zaouia went to the MOI to present their application.
Despite a one-hour discussion at the reception area and in
front of the MOI building, MOI officials refused to accept
FDTL's application and provide a receipt. MOI officials
reportedly told Ben Jaafar to submit their application at the
Governor of Tunis's office. Ben Jaafar subsequently set up
two meetings with the governor and deputy governor to submit
the application, but after arriving for the meetings was told
that the deputy governor was travelling. According to the
communique, the MOI and the governor's office did not reply
to subsequent attempts to register the newspaper or to be
given an explanation for the refusal.


4. (C) In a second communique on November 28, Ben Jaafar
reported that he had been contacted by the head of the MOI
Political Affairs Department, Mohamed Habib H'riz. According
to Ben Jaafar, H'riz initially pledged to solve the problem,
but in a subsequent call two days later, informed Ben Jaafar
that the Ministry would be unable to give FDTL a receipt of
registration. FDTL leaders then decided to send the request
for registration by registered mail, requiring an MOI
signature in order to receive the letter. FDTL would then
use the date of this receipt as the beginning of the
four-month review period, and begin publishing if no
objection had been raised at the end of that period. Ben
Jaafar told PolFSN he had sent the registered letter on
November 29, and was awaiting a response. He said he could
not understand the MOI's decision given the FDTL's legal
status. He added that the party's newspaper, tentatively
titled "Citizens," is little more than a concept, as the
party does not have sufficient funds to begin publication
even if it was to receive authorization.


5. (C) Comment: FDTL joins the National Council for Liberties
in Tunisia (CNLT),and other independent NGOs and
unauthorized political parties that have tried to enter the
Tunisian media scene, but who, due to their well-earned
reputation for anti-GOT rhetoric, stand little chance of
obtaining the requisite MOI approval. However, unlike other
would-be publishers such as CNLT and the unauthorized Green
Party, FDTL is a legal opposition party. Another legal,
independent opposition party, PDP (Democratic Progessive
Party),is permitted to publish Al-Mawqif, Tunisia's most
independent legal newspaper, although the newspaper receives
no advertising revenue, has a minuscule distribution, and is
periodically seized from newsstands. The approval of FDTL's
newspaper would be a positive step towards our principal
Freedom Agenda goal of increased freedom of expression, and
given FDTL's legal status, may still occur despite the hoops
the party is jumping through at the moment to register. On
the other hand, if the GOT denies authorization for a legal
opposition party to publish a newspaper, it will be further
indication of the GOT's allergic reaction to any criticism or
independent media voices, and will be unfortunately business
as usual. End Comment.
GODEC