AFTER INITIAL REFUSAL, GOT AUTHORIZES NEW

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 002856

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA/MAG FOR HARRIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/05/2016
TAGS: PGOV KPAO PHUM KDEM TS
SUBJECT: AFTER INITIAL REFUSAL, GOT AUTHORIZES NEW
OPPOSITION NEWSPAPER

REF: A. TUNIS 2826


B. TUNIS 584

Classified By: CDA a.i. David Ballard for Reasons 1.4 b and d


1. (C) Only weeks after refusing legal opposition party
Democratic Forum for Labor and Liberties (FDTL) leadership
the necessary paperwork to begin the process of authorization
to publish a newspaper (Ref A),the Ministry of Interior
(MOI) has reversed its position and approved publication,
party Secretary General Mustapha Ben Jaafar announced
December 4. According to Ben Jaafar and other FDTL
officials, the newspaper, "Mouwatinoun" (Citizens),will be
published weekly, with a monthly supplement in French. The
announcement followed weeks of pressure from domestic and
international human rights organizations, as well as a
communique supporting FDTL released by the French Socialist
Party. (FDTL is a member of The Socialist International, a
worldwide organization of socialist, social democratic, and
labor parties.)


2. (C) Although Ministry of Interior-linked newspaper
al-Hadath reported December 5 that Ben Jaafar had only been
given the paperwork necessary to begin the four-month review
process before full authorization, party officials reported
that MOI representatives told them verbally that publication
could begin immediately. Ben Jaafar reported that he plans
to publish the first issue of "Mouwatinoun" in January 2007.
FDTL leaders have raised financial concerns about the
newspaper, noting that only newspapers of political parties
represented in Parliament receive GOT subsidies and
suggesting that the party would rely on donations from party
members to publish the newspaper.


3. (C) In the same article announcing FDTL's approval,
al-Hadath reported that the GOT-authorized Green Party for
Progress (Ref B) has "submitted a dossier" requesting
authorization of a new newspaper, and that approval for other
political newspapers (NFI) would follow. The unauthorized
Tunisia Green Party has attempted for several years to obtain
authorization for a newspaper to no avail.


4. (C) Comment: The approval and publication of a new
opposition newspaper would be a significant positive
development in our primary Freedom Agenda goal of increased
freedom of expression. Like opposition party PDP's newspaper
Al-Mowqif, Mouwatinoun is likely to be poorly funded, receive
no GOT subsidies or advertising, and have a very small
circulation. Nevertheless, in Tunisia's highly-controlled,
sterile media environment, it will be a welcome exception and
source of opposition news. End Comment.
BALLARD