IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN: AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 001599

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA/MAG (HOPKINS/HARRIS); DRL (JOHNSTONE/KLARMAN)
LONDON AND PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/20/2017
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL KDEM KPAO TS
SUBJECT: IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN: AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH
OPPOSITION GREEN PARTY


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

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Summary
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1. (C) On December 18, the Ambassador met with Mongi
Khamassi, Secretary General of the Green Party for Progress
(PVP) to discuss the Tunisian political landscape and US
foreign policy. The smallest of the "loyal" opposition
parties, the PVP emphasized the need for gradual political
progress and continued economic reform. Khamassi briefly
touched on the PVP's political platform, but focused mostly
on the role of the United States in Iraq and Palestine. He
welcomed the Ambassador's offer to work with the PVP on
future exchange or training opportunities. End Summary.

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Newest Party on the Block
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2. (C) The Ambassador met with Mongi Khamassi, Secretary
General of the Green Party for Progress (PVP),on December 18
to discuss the Tunisian political landscape and US foreign
policy. Khamassi is a former member of the loyal opposition
Social Liberal Party (PSL),who left to found his own
political party (the PVP) in March 2006. Khamassi repeatedly
noted that he is the leader of a relatively new and small
political party, though he hopes to expand. For example,
Khamassi mentioned that party gatherings typically involve
40-60 people. (Note: In comparison, the opposition Renewal
Movement (et-Tajdid) or Progressive Democratic Party (PDP)
both had several hundred people attend their party
congresses. End Note.) Khamassi told the Ambassador that
the PVP currently has party offices in three locations and
members without offices in five. He hopes to expand to
fifteen locations by the end of 2008. Khamassi blamed the
PVP's lack of a newspaper on inadequate funding. Though
political parties represented in parliament are given a
government stipend, Khamassi explained that since he was
elected to parliament while he was still a member of the PSL,
the PVP merely receives nominal funding (and that thanks only
to President Ben Ali).

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Long Live the GOT
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3. (C) Khamassi lauded the GOT's focus on the economy and
opined that the GOT is responsible for slow but steady
progress, noting that freedom of speech can not be made at
the expense of economic gains or the middle class. Khamassi
praised President Ben Ali's recent initiative lowering the
voting age from 21 to 18, but added that Tunisian youth have
little interest in politics anyway. Khamassi said young
people prefer to focus on living a middle class life, which
is why his party is very concerned with how to engage
Tunisian youth. Khamassi said that "everyone" wants to
accuse the ruling Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD) for
not promoting political freedoms, but really it is Tunisia's
lack of a culture of democracy that is to blame for low
levels of political participation.

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Party Principles?
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4. (C) Khamassi frankly said that the PVP does not intend
to field a candidate in the 2009 presidential elections and
that he supports the reelection of President Ben Ali.
Khamassi said that he didn't see the point of running for
president as he had no realistic chance of winning. He found
it preferable to endorse President Ben Ali, who "knows how
things work," and focus on municipal and legislative
elections. Khamassi explained that his party is close to the
government by choice, since "to participate, you have to be
close to the regime." In response to repeated questions by
the Ambassador about his party's platform, Khamassi said the
PVP is concerned with human rights, liberty of the press, the
economy, unemployment, and youth. Khamassi said his party
was concerned with the environment, but offered no specific
policy initiatives other than to say the PVP had funded a
survey to identify problem areas (presumably of an
environmental nature). Khamassi did ask the Ambassador about
the US position regarding the 2007 Global Warming Conference
in Bali, and the Ambassador responded that the United States
recognized global warming as a problem, and is focused on how
to address it. He added that global warming is a global
problem, not just a problem for the United States, and all

countries must share in responding to it.

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US Foreign Policy
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5. (C) Most of Khamassi's comments focused on US foreign
policy in the Middle East. He urged the United States to
more strongly support the Palestinian Territories. As for
Iraq, Khamassi opined that though he is a strong believer in
democracy, he does not support military intervention. The
Ambassador responded that both issues are important, noting
that Palestinians should have their own state, but stressing
that Israel also has a right to security. It is fortunate,
the Ambassador continued, that there are leaders willing to
negotiate in order to bring about a real solution. He added
that President Bush and Secretary of State Rice are working
hard on the peace process, but said that peace requires the
help of everyone in the region, not just the United States.
The Ambassador mentioned that the United States has many
exchange and training programs designed for political
parties, and Khamassi expressed an interest in participating
if the opportunity arose.

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Comment
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6. (C) For the leader of a party ostensibly focused on
environmental issues, Khamassi had surprisingly little to say
about "green" issues. Indeed, he had trouble recalling the
Global Warming Conference in Bali. Judging from his
statements, the PVP's platform does not seem to differ
substantially from the other "loyal" opposition parties.
Given general limitations on access to the media for the
opposition and its lack of a newspaper, the PVP faces serious
barriers to promoting its platform and campaigning. Even if
Khamassi's expansion plans come to fruition, the PVP is
likely to remain the smallest of the loyal opposition
parties. End Comment.
GODEC