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