Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09TUNIS644
2009-09-01 16:23:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tunis
Cable title:
CODEL MEEKS DISCUSSES HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY
how-toVZCZCXYZ0001 PP RUEHWEB DE RUEHTU #0644/01 2441623 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 011623Z SEP 09 FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6742 INFO RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHDK/AMEMBASSY DAKAR PRIORITY 0324 RUEHSB/AMEMBASSY HARARE PRIORITY 0029 RUEHLGB/AMEMBASSY KIGALI PRIORITY 0068
C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 000644
SIPDIS
NEA/MAG (MHAYES),DRL
STATE ALSO FOR H
LONDON AND PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/29/2019
TAGS: OREP PGOV PREL PHUM TS
SUBJECT: CODEL MEEKS DISCUSSES HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY
WITH SENIOR TUNISIAN OFFICIALS
REF: A. TUNIS 585
B. STATE 87407
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Marc L. Desjardins for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d)
-------
Summary
-------
C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 000644
SIPDIS
NEA/MAG (MHAYES),DRL
STATE ALSO FOR H
LONDON AND PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/29/2019
TAGS: OREP PGOV PREL PHUM TS
SUBJECT: CODEL MEEKS DISCUSSES HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY
WITH SENIOR TUNISIAN OFFICIALS
REF: A. TUNIS 585
B. STATE 87407
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Marc L. Desjardins for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d)
--------------
Summary
--------------
1. (C) During their August 27-30 visit to Tunisia, CODEL
Meeks (led by Representative Gregory Meeks (D-NY),including
Representatives Mel Watt (D-NC),Jack Kingston (R-GA),Sheila
Jackson Lee (D-TX),and Marcia Fudge (D-OH)) discussed
Tunisia's record on human rights and democracy with senior
Tunisians including the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister,
the Minister of International Cooperation, and a group of
parliamentarians. The Tunisians generally responded with
boiler plate talking points - asserting (unconvincingly) that
the GOT already meets international standards on elections
and freedom of expression. While the Tunisians' remarks
broke no new ground, CODEL Meeks' questions were a useful
reminder for the GOT that Washington remains focused on human
rights and democracy in the Arab World. End Summary.
--------------
October Elections and the State of Democracy
--------------
2. (C) Congressman Meeks and delegation members asked senior
Tunisians about preparations for the October 2009
parliamentary and presidential elections. Foreign Minister
Abdallah said that with twelve elections under their belt,
the GOT felt relatively experienced. He said his government
was organizing free and credible elections and would invite
observers to watch the process and provide unlimited access
to journalists.
3. (C) Prime Minister Ghannouchi outlined the local political
landscape for the delegation, explaining that Tunisia has
nine legal political parties, one in power and eight in the
opposition, with seven of these opposition parties
represented in parliament. He noted that all the parties
would participate in the legislative elections. Ghannouchi
said pluralism was structural, as no party could have more
than 75 percent of the seats in parliament and that the
ruling Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD) party would
guarantee that 30 percent of its seats would be held by
women. FM Abdallah, however, gave a more nuanced view of the
political realities in Tunisia. He said the political
situation was not "ideal" and that the GOT was trying to
improve it. He said that after twenty years of reforms,
there was still really only one party in Tunisia, the RCD.
-------------- --------------
Parliamentarians Offer Unequivocal Praise for Status Quo
-------------- --------------
3. (SBU) CODEL Meeks also discussed the state of Tunisian
democracy with the U.S. Caucus (also known as the
Tunisia-United States Parliamentary Friendship Group) of the
Tunisian Parliament, which was represented by seven ruling
RCD members and one member of the "loyal opposition"
Socialist Democratic Movement (MDS). The Caucus is led by
RCD member Tijani Haddad, and the following parliamentarians
joined him: Nessima Ghannouchi (RCD),Saida Agrebi (RCD),
Taieb Mohsni (MDS),Mohamed Habib Thameur (RCD),Faten Ben
Amor (RCD),Emna Ben Arab (RCD),and Bechir Majdoub (RCD).
The group lauded President Ben Ali's recently-announced
candidacy and praised him for his democratic reforms,
including lowering the voting age to 18 and easing the
requirements to run for office. Thameur told the delegation
that pluralism was alive in the political landscape, and that
three different political parties had chosen to endorse Ben
Ali. Mohsni, the opposition parliamentarian, said his party
chose to support Ben Ali because of his social and economic
achievements, though he added they would like more seats in
parliament and more media access.
--------------
Freedom of Speech and Human Rights
--------------
4. (C) The Congressional delegation asked their Tunisian
interlocutors about the degree of freedom of expression in
the country. The Parliamentarians were quick to deny that
there were any restrictions whatsoever. Tijani Haddad said
Tunisians can express themselves as they want - they can read
domestic and foreign newspapers freely and have access to
satellite television. He noted that no newspaper had been
seized by the government since Ben Ali took office. He
blamed international NGOs with "agendas" for disseminating
false information. Saida Agrebi concurred, contending that
Tunisia was so free it hosted the World Summit for the World
Information Society. She said "everybody writes, everybody
chats online" and then added that there could not be complete
freedom in everything because Tunisia has to guard against
instability. Faten Ben Amor added that freedom of expression
was a social problem, not a government one, because people
choose how they want to express themselves. In his meeting
with the CODEL, Foreign Minister Abdallah took a different
tack, saying that in the United States, press freedom had
taken years to develop, while Tunisia was at an earlier stage
of development and was still building press freedom.
5. (C) On human rights, the Foreign Minister admitted that it
was not easy to get the population to internalize the
concept. He said Tunisia is working to make human rights a
part of daily life, but that it was difficult to achieve 100
percent compliance. Parliamentarian Agrebi, by contrast,
insisted that human rights are universal in Tunisia, and that
NGOs do not necessarily have to be labeled as human rights
organizations to do human rights work.
--------------
Comment
--------------
6. (C) The GOT's assertions that the country has an
essentially fair and open democratic system and no serious
human rights challenges are unconvincing, boilerplate
Tunisian rhetoric and broke no new ground. However, these
discussions served as a useful opportunity for the
Congressional delegation to remind the GOT that the USG
continues to focus on these issues. End comment.
7. (U) CODEL Meeks did not have the opportunity to clear this
message before departing Tunisia.
DESJARDINS
SIPDIS
NEA/MAG (MHAYES),DRL
STATE ALSO FOR H
LONDON AND PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/29/2019
TAGS: OREP PGOV PREL PHUM TS
SUBJECT: CODEL MEEKS DISCUSSES HUMAN RIGHTS AND DEMOCRACY
WITH SENIOR TUNISIAN OFFICIALS
REF: A. TUNIS 585
B. STATE 87407
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Marc L. Desjardins for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d)
--------------
Summary
--------------
1. (C) During their August 27-30 visit to Tunisia, CODEL
Meeks (led by Representative Gregory Meeks (D-NY),including
Representatives Mel Watt (D-NC),Jack Kingston (R-GA),Sheila
Jackson Lee (D-TX),and Marcia Fudge (D-OH)) discussed
Tunisia's record on human rights and democracy with senior
Tunisians including the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister,
the Minister of International Cooperation, and a group of
parliamentarians. The Tunisians generally responded with
boiler plate talking points - asserting (unconvincingly) that
the GOT already meets international standards on elections
and freedom of expression. While the Tunisians' remarks
broke no new ground, CODEL Meeks' questions were a useful
reminder for the GOT that Washington remains focused on human
rights and democracy in the Arab World. End Summary.
--------------
October Elections and the State of Democracy
--------------
2. (C) Congressman Meeks and delegation members asked senior
Tunisians about preparations for the October 2009
parliamentary and presidential elections. Foreign Minister
Abdallah said that with twelve elections under their belt,
the GOT felt relatively experienced. He said his government
was organizing free and credible elections and would invite
observers to watch the process and provide unlimited access
to journalists.
3. (C) Prime Minister Ghannouchi outlined the local political
landscape for the delegation, explaining that Tunisia has
nine legal political parties, one in power and eight in the
opposition, with seven of these opposition parties
represented in parliament. He noted that all the parties
would participate in the legislative elections. Ghannouchi
said pluralism was structural, as no party could have more
than 75 percent of the seats in parliament and that the
ruling Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD) party would
guarantee that 30 percent of its seats would be held by
women. FM Abdallah, however, gave a more nuanced view of the
political realities in Tunisia. He said the political
situation was not "ideal" and that the GOT was trying to
improve it. He said that after twenty years of reforms,
there was still really only one party in Tunisia, the RCD.
-------------- --------------
Parliamentarians Offer Unequivocal Praise for Status Quo
-------------- --------------
3. (SBU) CODEL Meeks also discussed the state of Tunisian
democracy with the U.S. Caucus (also known as the
Tunisia-United States Parliamentary Friendship Group) of the
Tunisian Parliament, which was represented by seven ruling
RCD members and one member of the "loyal opposition"
Socialist Democratic Movement (MDS). The Caucus is led by
RCD member Tijani Haddad, and the following parliamentarians
joined him: Nessima Ghannouchi (RCD),Saida Agrebi (RCD),
Taieb Mohsni (MDS),Mohamed Habib Thameur (RCD),Faten Ben
Amor (RCD),Emna Ben Arab (RCD),and Bechir Majdoub (RCD).
The group lauded President Ben Ali's recently-announced
candidacy and praised him for his democratic reforms,
including lowering the voting age to 18 and easing the
requirements to run for office. Thameur told the delegation
that pluralism was alive in the political landscape, and that
three different political parties had chosen to endorse Ben
Ali. Mohsni, the opposition parliamentarian, said his party
chose to support Ben Ali because of his social and economic
achievements, though he added they would like more seats in
parliament and more media access.
--------------
Freedom of Speech and Human Rights
--------------
4. (C) The Congressional delegation asked their Tunisian
interlocutors about the degree of freedom of expression in
the country. The Parliamentarians were quick to deny that
there were any restrictions whatsoever. Tijani Haddad said
Tunisians can express themselves as they want - they can read
domestic and foreign newspapers freely and have access to
satellite television. He noted that no newspaper had been
seized by the government since Ben Ali took office. He
blamed international NGOs with "agendas" for disseminating
false information. Saida Agrebi concurred, contending that
Tunisia was so free it hosted the World Summit for the World
Information Society. She said "everybody writes, everybody
chats online" and then added that there could not be complete
freedom in everything because Tunisia has to guard against
instability. Faten Ben Amor added that freedom of expression
was a social problem, not a government one, because people
choose how they want to express themselves. In his meeting
with the CODEL, Foreign Minister Abdallah took a different
tack, saying that in the United States, press freedom had
taken years to develop, while Tunisia was at an earlier stage
of development and was still building press freedom.
5. (C) On human rights, the Foreign Minister admitted that it
was not easy to get the population to internalize the
concept. He said Tunisia is working to make human rights a
part of daily life, but that it was difficult to achieve 100
percent compliance. Parliamentarian Agrebi, by contrast,
insisted that human rights are universal in Tunisia, and that
NGOs do not necessarily have to be labeled as human rights
organizations to do human rights work.
--------------
Comment
--------------
6. (C) The GOT's assertions that the country has an
essentially fair and open democratic system and no serious
human rights challenges are unconvincing, boilerplate
Tunisian rhetoric and broke no new ground. However, these
discussions served as a useful opportunity for the
Congressional delegation to remind the GOT that the USG
continues to focus on these issues. End comment.
7. (U) CODEL Meeks did not have the opportunity to clear this
message before departing Tunisia.
DESJARDINS