CALL ON CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 000349 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2018 TAGS: KDEM KPAO PGOV PHUM PREL TS SUBJECT: CALL ON CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES REF: TUNIS 298 Classified By: Ambassador Robert F. Godec for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) Salah Tabarki, President of the Commission of Political Affairs and External RELATIONS in the Chamber of Deputies, told the DCM April 2 that there were strong debates in the Chamber of Deputies, notably within the commissions. In plenary sessions, party discipline is the rule. Although any parliamentarian can submit a draft bill, ruling party members have done so only twice in 50 years. Tabarki asserted that opposition parties need to stop internal infighting and defended the GOT's measures restricting the naming of presidential candidates. He said an opposition move to formally end the death penalty would not pass, since its formal elimination would increase revenge killings by victims' families. The ruling RCD party will formally name its presidential candidate at its party Congress at the end of July. End Summary. ¶2. (C) The DCM made a courtesy call April 2 on Salah Tabarki, President of the Commission of POLITICAL Affairs and External RELATIONS in the Chamber of Deputies. After expounding on the strong relationship between the United States and Tunisia, Tabarki, who is a member of the RCD's Central Committee, provided his views on parliamentary activities and the state of the opposition. -------------- - How the Tunisian Chamber of Deputies Functions -------------- - ¶3. (C) Tabarki described the Chamber of Deputies as an institution with serious debate, notably within the commissions. Within the plenary, however, POLITICAL parties are bound to respect party loyalty since the parliamentary system in Tunisia follows a European model based on a political platform and the maintenance of party discipline. Parliamentarians run for office as representatives of their party and not as individuals, he added. When the DCM noted that local press reports had highlighted the novelty of several opposition parliamentarians proposing a draft bill that would eliminate the death penalty, Tabarki replied that the rules permitted any parliamentarian to submit a draft bill, notwithstanding the many procedures that would then be required before it could become law. The bill would not pass since the ruling party is opposed. Tabarki said ruling party members did not usually submit draft bills, it having occurred only twice in the last half century. The government submits its draft legislation directly. When asked what foreign affairs issues his committee addressed, Tabarki replied that he would be leading two hours of parliamentary questioning of the Foreign Minister, live on television, the following day. -------------- The Death Penalty Prevents Unilateral Revenge -------------- ¶4. (C) Tabarki explained that President Ben Ali has repeatedly said that he would not implement any death sentence pronounced by the courts. Tabarki expressed certainty that this presidential policy would remain in place. Nonetheless, Tabarki said that as jurist, he believes in maintaining the ability of the courts to pronounce the death sentence in the case of particularly heinous crimes. Tabarki said that as an Arab country, there remains a strong bent within Tunisian society in favor of vengeance for wrongdoings. Citing rape of a child as an example of a heinous crime, he said that desires for vengeance by the victim's relatives is attenuated if the court pronounces a death sentence against the perpetrator, even if it is not carried out. If the victim's family knows that death is impossible, it may choose to take actions into its own hands. -------------- Opposition Needs to Get House in Order -------------- ¶5. (C) Tabarki asserted that the opposition's main problem in Tunisia was its own internal infighting. In order to be more effective, they needed to eliminate their squabbling and become more unified. They also needed to publish a comprehensive program for the people to be able to consider. Tabarki described the most significant problem facing the opposition is that issues that affect everyday Tunisian's lives are already addressed by the comprehensive programs being implemented by President Ben Ali. He affirmed that the opposition was not in a position to propose anything that would be better. He pointed out that some opposition parties had supported Ben Ali during the 2004 Presidential elections. ¶6. (C) Tabarki described the recent announcement (reftel) that Secretary Generals of opposition parties could present themselves as presidential candidates in 2009 as a "transition measure" that was similar to the one issued before the 2004 elections. It was to overcome the obstacle of the constitutional requirement for candidates to obtain 30 signatures from sitting government officials that the measure was promulgated. Tabarki brushed aside the question of whether it was proper for the government to decide which candidates were eligible to represent opposition parties. Referring to the situation of PDP candidate Najib Chebbi directly, he said the party was free to put up its Secretary-General, Maya Jribi, instead. SIPDIS ¶7. (C) Anytime he was asked harder questions about current political restrictions, Tabarki expounded at length on the question of Tunisia being a young democracy, only for some twenty years (i.e. only since Ben Ali has been in power). As is the wont of government supporters, he used Algeria as a point of comparison, saying that democratic advances in Tunisia are proceeding step by step. Algeria had numerous parties and has been engulfed in civil war for many years, Tabarki emphasized. He cited as well the common interest the United States and Tunisia have in fighting the threat of terrorism. -------------- RCD to Choose its Candidate this Summer -------------- ¶8. (SBU) As for the RCD itself, it has already expressed formally the wish that Ben Ali run again. Tabarki said that the President has yet to respond to the party's desires. The party is set to designate its candidate at the end of July, when it holds its party Congress. GODEC