TUNISIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WELCOMES HUMAN RIGHTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 000146 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/23/2020 TAGS: PREL PHUM KDEM TS SUBJECT: TUNISIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WELCOMES HUMAN RIGHTS DIALOGUE, DEFENDS "GRADUAL" DEMOCRATIC PROGRESS, COMPLAINS ABOUT NDI REF: A. TUNIS 145 ¶B. TUNIS 113 ¶C. TUNIS 61 Classified by Ambassador Gordon Gray for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (C) During a meeting largely devoted to regional issues (ref A),Foreign Minister Morjane told the Ambassador on February 23 he welcomed in principle the concept of a candid, detailed bilateral dialogue on human rights. Morjane acknowledged that some western governments appeared unimpressed by Tunisia's democratization program, but pointed to Algeria as an example of the dangers of moving too quickly. Morjane complained about a recent visit by the (Rabat-based) Chief of Party for the National Democratic Institute, asserting that he had snubbed pro-government parties by meeting only with GOT critics. End summary. -------------- Human Rights Dialogue -------------- ¶2. (C) Recalling positive conversations with senior GOT officials during the (separate) January visits of DAS Wittes and DAS Sanderson (refs B and C),the Ambassador stressed that a bilateral human rights dialogue could constitute an excellent channel for frank and pragmatic discussions on human rights issues while allowing for unobstructed progress on cooperation in other areas. DRL Assistant Secretary Posner is stressing practical dialogue and effective engagement over "naming and shaming" in his promotion of human rights objectives, the Ambassador underlined. Morjane welcomed this approach and said he would make himself "totally available" for a dialogue that could be conducted "in good faith" by both sides. -------------- On "Gradual" Democracy -------------- ¶3. (C) Acknowledging that many observers in the west regarded skeptically Tunisia's pursuit of "gradual democracy," Morjane maintained that this approach was the only safe one for Tunisia. "They moved too quickly in Algeria and look what happened," Morjane emphasized. "Can you imagine the consequences if the Islamists had seized power in Algiers?" Morjane asked rhetorically, adding that he believed all of North Africa would have been destabilized. Implying that he thought the Tunisian public was not yet conditioned to participate responsibly in a full democracy, he pointed to the tone of commentary in Tunisia's Arabic press. Morjane cautioned that public attitudes toward issues such as the peace process and cooperation with the U.S. were far less progressive than the official policies pursued by the GOT. -------------- NDI Should be "Fair" -------------- ¶4. (C) Toward the conclusion of the meeting, Morjane offered a lengthy complaint, couched in relatively mild rhetoric, about the early February visit of the (Rabat-based) North Africa Chief of Party for the National Democratic Institute. The NDI official had met only with political parties known for their harshly critical stance toward the GOT, and declined to meet with any of the other political parties supportive of the Ben Ali government. (Comment: We know that NDI met with Tunisia's three legal, genuinely independent political parties. The other six are subsidized, controlled, and were in some cases created, by Tunisia's Ministry of Interior. End comment.) NDI's itinerary in Tunisia suggested bias and an unwillingness "to consider all points of view," Morjane asserted. Parties and NGOs gain credibility by the quality of their services to the people and the country, not simply by virtue of how loudly and rudely they criticize the government, he insisted. ¶5. (C) The Ambassador underlined that NDI, notwithstanding its connections to the Democratic party in the U.S., operates independently. The Embassy does not prepare programs for NDI - we interact with NDI as we do with any other U.S. NGO. "We (at the MFA) understand this," Morjane replied, "but not everyone here does.... This visit was badly received." (Comment: Morjane was probably alluding to the ire of officials in the Interior Ministry and/or the Presidential Palace in Carthage. End comment.) GRAY