OPPOSITION PARTY LEADERS THREATEN HUNGER STRIKE

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 000493 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR NEA/MAG (HOPKINS AND HARRIS) E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2017 TAGS: PHUM PGOV KPAO KMPI TS SUBJECT: OPPOSITION PARTY LEADERS THREATEN HUNGER STRIKE AFTER BEING TOLD TO CEASE POLITICAL ACTIVITIES AT HEADQUARTERS REF: 06 TUNIS 2661 CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR ROBERT F. GODEC FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: DURING AN APRIL 17 PRESS CONFERENCE, PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATIC PARTY (PDP) LEADERS ACCUSED THE GOT OF ATTEMPTING TO FORCE THE PARTY OUT OF ITS TUNIS HEADQUARTERS. DAYS EARLIER, PDP RECEIVED A NOTICE FROM THE BUILDING'S LANDLORD TELLING THEM THAT USING THE BUILDING FOR POLITICAL PARTY ACTIVITIES VIOLATED THEIR LEASE, AND THAT THE PREMISES CAN BE USED ONLY TO PUBLISH THE PARTYS NEWSPAPER, AL-MAWQIF (THE ONLY PERIODICAL IN TUNISIA THAT IS TRULY CRITICAL OF THE GOT). NEVERTHELESS, PDP HAS USED THE BUILDING AS ITS HEADQUARTERS FOR 13 YEARS, INCLUDING 8 YEARS UNDER THE CURRENT LANDLORD. PARTY LEADERS THREATENED TO GO ON HUNGER STRIKE IF THE PRESSURE TO LEAVE THE OFFICE CONTINUED. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (C) ON APRIL 17, LEADERS OF INDEPENDENT OPPOSITION DEMOCRATIC POPULIST PARTY (PDP) HELD A PRESS CONFERENCE AT THEIR TUNIS HEADQUARTERS TO ANNOUNCE A DIRECTIVE FROM THEIR LANDLORD TO CEASE POLITICAL ACTIVITIES IN THE BUILDING. ACCORDING TO PDP LEADERS, THEIR LEASE STIPULATES THAT THE BUILDING BE USED TO PRODUCE A NEWSPAPER, THE PDP WEEKLY JOURNAL AL-MAWQIF, BUT DOES NOT CONTAIN A PROVISION PERMITTING THE SITE TO BE USED FOR A POLITICAL PARTY. NEVERTHELESS, THE BUILDING HAS BEEN USED BY PDP AS ITS PARTY AND NEWSPAPER HEADQUARTERS FOR 13 YEARS, INCLUDING 8 YEARS WITH THE CURRENT LANDLORD. FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS A LARGE SIGN WITH THE NAME OF THE PARTY HAS HUNG ON THE BUILDING'S FACADE. ACCORDING TO PARTY LEADERS, ON APRIL 13, PDP WAS GIVEN 15 DAYS TO CEASE USING THE BUILDING FOR POLITICAL ACTIVITIES. ¶3. (C) PARTY SECRETARY GENERAL MAYA JRIBI ACCUSED THE GOT OF PRESSURING THE LANDLORD TO MAKE SUCH A DEMAND, AND "ATTEMPTING TO SUFFOCATE DIVERGENT OPINIONS AND ACTIVITIES OF INDEPENDENT PARTIES AND ASSOCIATIONS." EX-PARTY LEADER AND HEAD OF AL-MAWQIF, NEJIB CHEBBI, TOLD POLOFF THAT HE BELIEVED THE GOT'S ACTION WAS PROMPTED BY PDP'S INCREASED PROFILE IN RECENT MONTHS, AND PARTICULARLY DUE TO BOLD ARTICLES IN EDITORIALS IN AL-MAWQIF. HE CITED A RECENT EDITORIAL SUPPORTING A GENERAL STRIKE BY TUNISIAN TEACHERS AS HAVING RAISED GOT IRE. CHEBBI SAID THAT GOT HARASSMENT IN THE FORM OF CLOSING PDP LOCALES WAS NOTHING NEW -- SIMILAR ACTIONS HAD BEEN TAKEN AGAINST PDP OFFICES IN THE PROVINCIAL CAPITALS OF GABES, TATAOUINE AND MEDININE. THE PDP RECENTLY ESTABLISHED A NEW OFFICE IN THE TUNIS SUBURB OF ARIANA, WHICH ACCORDING TO CHEBBI WAS POSSIBLE ONLY BECAUSE THE LANDLORD WAS HIS SISTER. ¶4. (C) AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE, JRIBI ANNOUNCED THAT SHE AND CHEBBI, ALONG WITH UNSPECIFIED OTHER PARTY MEMBERS WOULD UNDERTAKE A HUNGER STRIKE AT THE END OF THE 15 DAY PERIOD IF THE GOT CONTINUED TO PRESSURE THE PARTY TO ABANDON POLITICAL ACTIVITIES AT ITS HEADQUARTERS. (NOTE: CHEBBI WAS ONE OF THE 18 OCTOBER HUNGER STRIKERS. REFTEL.) IN AN AP ARTICLE ON THE PDP PRESS CONFERENCE, AN UNNAMED GOT SOURCE WAS QUOTED AS REFUTING THE PDP'S ALLEGATIONS, REPORTEDLY SAYING THAT THE PROBLEM WAS ONLY A MATTER OF "CIVIL LITIGATION BETWEEN A LANDLORD AND TENANT." ¶5. (C) COMMENT: PDP'S TROUBLES WITH THE GOT ARE FREQUENT AND LONG-STANDING. THIS MOST RECENT CASE OF HARASSMENT BY THE GOT IS NOT SURPRISING, ALTHOUGH IT IS TROUBLING. AS USUAL, IT IS VIA A LEGALLY DEFENSIBLE, AND DENIABLE, TACTIC. THE PARTY, WHICH IN THE PAST TWO YEARS HAS MADE VERY PUBLIC OVERTURES TO MODERATE ISLAMISTS, HAS RISEN IN PROFILE -- ALTHOUGH IT REMAINS MARGINAL OUTSIDE OF THE SMALL ACTIVIST/OPPOSITION COMMUNITY. NEVERTHELESS, IT REMAINS ONE OF THE FEW BOLD, ACTIVE OPPOSITION VOICES IN THE SUFFOCATING POLITICAL ATMOSPHERE IN TUNISIA. IN THE CONTEXT OF COURTESY CALLS ON ALL POLITICAL PARTIES, THE AMBASSADOR PLANS TO VISIT PDP LEADERS IN THE COMING WEEKS. END COMMENT. GODEC