Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TUNIS522
2007-04-25 15:23:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tunis
Cable title:  

TWO BOLD POLITICAL ARTICLES IN MAINSTREAM PRESS:

Tags:  PGOV PHUM KPAO KDEM TS 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0031
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTUA #0522 1151523
ZNY CCCCC ZZH ZUI RUEWMCE6925 1151511
P 251523Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC0000
INFO MAGHREB COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 000522 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA/FO FOR GRAY AND NEA/MAG FOR HOPKINS/HARRIS
NSC FOR ABRAMS
DRL FOR BARKS-RUGGLES

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KPAO KDEM TS
SUBJECT: TWO BOLD POLITICAL ARTICLES IN MAINSTREAM PRESS:
COURAGEOUS JOURNALISTS PUSH THE RED LINES

REF: A. TUNIS 493


B. TUNIS 327

C. TUNIS 196

D. 06 TUNIS 2661

E. 06 TUNIS 501

CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR ROBERT F. GODEC FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 000522

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA/FO FOR GRAY AND NEA/MAG FOR HOPKINS/HARRIS
NSC FOR ABRAMS
DRL FOR BARKS-RUGGLES

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/25/2017
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KPAO KDEM TS
SUBJECT: TWO BOLD POLITICAL ARTICLES IN MAINSTREAM PRESS:
COURAGEOUS JOURNALISTS PUSH THE RED LINES

REF: A. TUNIS 493


B. TUNIS 327

C. TUNIS 196

D. 06 TUNIS 2661

E. 06 TUNIS 501

CLASSIFIED BY: AMBASSADOR ROBERT F. GODEC FOR REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (C) SUMMARY: IN A RECENT ONE-WEEK PERIOD, TWO ARTICLES
FEATURING BOLD POLITICAL COMMENTARY APPEARED IN MAINSTREAM
TUNISIAN FRENCH-LANGUAGE PRESS. THE ARTICLES, INTERVIEWS
WITH OPPOSITION POLITICIANS, CONSTITUTED SOME OF THE MOST
FRANK, OPEN DISCUSSION OF POLITICALLY SENSITIVE THEMES IN
RECENT YEARS, AND WERE FOLLOWED BY SHORTER NEWS ITEMS ON
OPPOSITION ACTIVITIES RARELY SEEN IN THE MAINSTREAM PRESS.
WHILE TUNISIA'S PRESS FREEDOM SITUATION STILL RANKS AMONG THE
LOWEST IN THE WORLD, THESE TWO ARTICLES REFLECT A RECENT
TREND OF DYNAMISM AND INDEPENDENCE IN THE OTHERWISE
CONTROLLED, LANGUID PRESS. END SUMMARY.


2. (SBU) THE BOLDEST, MOST CRITICAL ARTICLE ON TUNISIAN
POLITICS IN RECENT YEARS IN THE MAINSTREAM TUNISIAN PRESS
APPEARED ON APRIL 2 IN FRENCH-LANGUAGE DAILY LE TEMPS. THE
ARTICLE, AN INTERVIEW WITH MOKHTAR JELLALI, FORMER UNITED
DEMOCRATIC UNION (UDU) OPPOSITION PARTY PARLIAMENTARIAN,
LAWYER, AND HUSBAND OF OUTSPOKEN ACTIVIST/JOURNALIST NEZIJA
REJIBA (PEN NAME "OM ZIED") CARRIED THE SUB-HEADING: "THE
'OFFICIAL' OPPOSITION PARTIES CONSIDER THEIR ROLE LIMITED TO
UNRESERVED SUPPORT (FOR THE GOT)." IN THE ARTICLE, JELLALI
IS QUOTED AS SAYING, "TRUE DELIVERANCE" FROM THE PROBLEM
FACING OPPOSITION PARTIES, "WOULD CONSIST OF TOTAL POLITICAL
REFORM, SINCERE AND RIGOROUS...AND WITH ADEQUATE ACCOMPANYING
MEASURES, NOTABLY FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION..." CONTINUING, HE
RESPONDS TO A QUESTION ABOUT THE 18 OCTOBER MOVEMENT (REF D),
A DISPARATE GROUP OF OPPOSITION ACTIVISTS, WHICH HAS NEVER
BEEN MENTIONED BY NAME IN THE MAINSTREAM PRESS, AND WHOSE
MEMBERS ARE USUALLY REFERRED TO IN PRO-GOT PAPERS AS
"TRAITORS." JELLALI, REFERRING TO THE MAIN DEMANDS OF THE 18
OCTOBER MOVEMENT SAID, "I CONSIDER THAT THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM
OF EXPRESSION, FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION, AND AMNESTY IS AN

EMINENTLY POLITICAL FIGHT."


3. (SBU) THE APRIL 5-11 ISSUE OF WEEKLY FRENCH-LANGUAGE
MAGAZINE REALITES FEATURED A COVER STORY ON TWO MEMBERS OF
INDEPENDENT OPPOSITION PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATIC PARTY, MOHAMED
GOUMAIN AND FETHI TOUZRI, AND THEIR RECENTLY RELEASED
SIXTY-PAGE TRACT ENTITLED "A POLITICAL VISION OF THE FUTURE."
WHILE THE LANGUAGE OF THE INTERVIEW WAS NOT AS BOLD AS IN
THE JELLALI EXCHANGE, GOUMAIN AND TOUZRI DID EXPRESS IDEAS
RARELY PRINTED IN MAINSTREAM TUNISIAN PRESS. THE TWO MEMBERS
OF THE PDP SAID, "IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT TUNISIA DEVELOP A
MORE PARTICIPATORY SYSTEM." WHILE ECHOING JELLALI'S COMMENT
"CONSENSUAL POLITICAL OPPOSITION" IS NOT HEALTHY FOR TUNISIA,
GOUMAIN AND TOUZRI SAID THAT THE PDP, AND OTHER OPPOSITION
GROUPS, SHOULD SEEK DIALOGUE WITH THE GOT INSTEAD OF PURSUING
A MORE ADVERSARIAL POLICY -- A VIEWPOINT NOT SHARED BY A
MAJORITY OF PDP MEMBERS, ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLE. EXAMPLES
OF PARTICULARLY BOLD QUOTES INCLUDE: "THE PROJECT OF
CONSENSUAL DEMOCRACY, OPEN ONLY TO POLITICAL PARTIES CLOSE TO
POWER, HAS PROVEN ITS LIMITS." ALSO, RESPONDING TO A
QUESTION ON TERRORISM: "THE AUTHORITIES HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY
TOWARDS ALL TYPES OF YOUTH, INCLUDING THOSE THAT ARE
ATTRACTED TO RELIGION. THE PUBLIC DISCOURSE ON RELIGION HAS
SHOWN ITSELF INCAPABLE OF INCLUDING THESE YOUTH." ON FREEDOM
OF EXPRESSION: "IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO HAVE FORMAL STRUCTURES
TO HAVE DEBATE (ON POLITICAL PARTICIPATION). A FREER PRESS
CAN PLAY THIS ROLE VERY WELL."


4. (U) IN THE WEEKS FOLLOWING THESE ARTICLES, SHORTER NEWS
ITEMS CONCERNING INDEPENDENT HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS AND
OPPOSITION PARTIES ALSO RAN IN LE TEMPS, ITS ARABIC-LANGUAGE
SISTER PAPER AS-SABAH, AND REALITIES. ALSO, OUT OF THE NORM
FOR MAJOR PRINT MEDIA, ARTICLES IN LE TEMPS AND AS-SABAH
COVERED A PDP PRESS CONFERENCE CONCERNING DEMANDS FROM THE
LANDLORD FOR THE PARTY TO LEAVE ITS TUNIS HEADQUARTERS (REF
A). REALITIES RAN A SHORT ITEM ABOUT EMBATTLED TUNISIAN
HUMAN RIGHTS LEAGUE (LTDH) DIRECTOR MOKHTAR TRIFI (REF E) WHO
WAS ABLE TO RENEW HIS PASSPORT ONLY AFTER A LENGTHY DELAY,
WHICH THE LTDH ALLEGED WAS AN ATTEMPT TO PREVENT HIS TRAVEL
OVERSEAS TO SUPPORT THE CANDIDATURE OF LTDH VICE-PRESIDENT
SOUHEIR BELHASSEN FOR THE PRESIDENCY OF THE INTERNATIONAL
FEDERATION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS (FIDH). (NOTE: BELHASSEN WAS
ELECTED PRESIDENT OF THE FIDH ON APRIL 24. END NOTE.)

Q. (C) RIDHA KEFI (PROTECT),A PROMINENT JOURNALIST WHOSE
ATTEMPT TO PUBLISH AN INDEPENDENT NEWS MAGAZINE WAS BLOCKED
BY THE GOT (REF B),IN ANSWER TO POLOFFS QUESTION, SAID
THAT THERE HAD BEEN NO "GREEN LIGHT" FROM THE GOT TO PRINT
COURAGEOUS JOURNALISTS PUSH THE RED LINES
THESE MORE DARING ARTICLES. KEFI WRITES OFTEN FOR LE TEMPS,
AND SAID THAT HE AND A CADRE OF LIKE-MINDED JOURNALISTS IN LE
TEMPS AND AS-SABAH MADE A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO WRITE
ARTICLES ON TRADITIONALLY SENSITIVE TOPICS. KEFI'S
EDITORIALS FOLLOWING THE DECEMBER 2006/JANUARY 2007
"SALAFIST" INCIDENTS (REF C) HIGHLIGHTED THE CONTINUING
TERRORIST THREAT IN TUNISIA, AND EDITORIALS IN REALITES HAVE
CALLED FOR GREATER GOT OPENNESS AND INFORMATION SHARING ABOUT
THE ATTACKS. KEFI SAID THAT INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM IN
TUNISIA IS A "PUSH-PUSH GAME" -- THE MORE DARING JOURNALISTS
WILL PUSH THE BOUNDARIES UNTIL THE POINT WHERE THE GOT PUSHES
BACK. KEFI SAID THAT LE TEMPS AND AS-SABAH ARE ON THE
FOREFRONT OF THIS WAVE, AND THAT REALITES USUALLY FOLLOWS
THESE TWO PAPERS, ALBEIT LESS BOLDLY. (NOTE: THE REALITES
PDP PIECE WAS INDEED LESS PROVOCATIVE THAT THE JELLALI
INTERVIEW IN LE TEMPS. END NOTE.) KEFI SAID THAT LE
TEMPS/AS-SABAH HAD NOT WITNESSED A REPEAT OF THE DIFFICULTIES
THE PUBLISHING HOUSE HAD ENDURED EARLIER IN THE YEAR WHEN THE
GOT SENT A STRONG SIGNAL TO LIMIT PROVOCATIVE ARTICLES BY
CANCELING MUCH-NEEDED GOVERNMENT ADVERTISING.


5. (C) DEFI/SARL, THE COMPANY THAT OWNS THE PRINTING PRESSES
THAT RUN LE TEMPS/AS-SABAH HAS RECENTLY SIGNED A MEPI SMALL
GRANT TO CONDUCT FOUR ROUNDTABLES ON ECONOMIC/DEMOCRATIC
REFORM THEMES -- THE RESULTS OF WHICH WILL BE PUBLISHED IN A
SPECIAL INSERT IN THE TWO PAPERS. KEFI, WHO IS PARTLY BEHIND
THE GRANT REQUEST, TOLD POLOFF THAT LIKE THE ARTICLES, THE
MEPI GRANT IS ALSO AN ATTEMPT TO PUSH GOT RED-LINES. (HE
ADDED THAT BY PARTNERING WITH INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND
DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS HE AND HIS LIKE-MINDED COLLEAGUES HOPED
FOR SOME MEASURE OF "PROTECTION" SHOULD THE GOT PUSH COME TO
SHOVE.)


6. (C) COMMENT: WHILE TUNISIA'S PRESS FREEDOM SITUATION STILL
CERTAINLY RANKS AMONG THE LOWEST IN THE WORLD, THESE RECENT
ARTICLES REFLECT A RECENT TREND OF DYNAMISM AND INDEPENDENCE
IN THE OTHERWISE CONTROLLED, LANGUID PRESS. WE WILL HAVE TO
WAIT AND SEE IF THE GOT PUSHES BACK. IN THE MEANTIME, KEFI
AND HIS COLLEAGUES SAY THEY WILL LEAD THE SLOW, CAREFUL DRIVE
TOWARDS A MORE INDEPENDENT, AND THEY CLAIM, OBJECTIVE AND
MODERATE PRESS -- WHICH THEY RIGHTLY SEE AS CRITICAL TO
FURTHER POLITICAL PROGRESS AND THE FIGHT AGAINST EXTREMISM IN
TUNISIA. END COMMENT.
GODEC