The three parties in the new coalition government of Tunisia have months, not years, to deliver on unemployment, political reform and economic growth.
The dramatic citizens' uprisings and protests across the world this year are signals of an emerging era that demands a renewal of democracy itself, says Vidar Helgesen.
The hopes of liberation from dictatorship and penury shine less brightly at the end of this year of movement, says Patrice de Beer.
The second year of the Arab uprisings opens a complex period in which the potential of the Arab world to move towards democracy and human security will be acutely tested. This makes careful assessment and policymaking by leading actors more essential than ever, says Mariano Aguirre.
Despite Tunisia's successful election in October, there has emerged a remarkable ideological split in the ranks. In Bardo, protesters are pressuring members of the National Constituent Assembly to pass eleven measures to further the goals of the revolution.
Much of the recent coverage of the Tunisian elections focused on how the Ennahda Islamist party topped the polls. In fact, the real victory went to the election process.
The Arab awakening of 2011 raises hope of an end to the torture and other human-rights violations that have long been endemic in Arab states. But it will be a tough legacy to overcome, says Vicken Cheterian.
As Egyptians prepare for their first democratic elections since the fall of Mubarak, their political parties are learning new lessons about the contest for power. It remains to be seen if they can translate their revolutionary organizing tools into electoral victories.
This misguided but determined focus on the ‘continuing’ threat of Sha’ria law in Libya and other North African counterparts is obscuring the real twin issues of freedom of expression and equal rights for all.
The run up to the Tunisian elections was filled with a disruptive campaigning that appeared in parallel to electoral campaigns. At the time, a worried Tunisian called for vigilance against manipulative attempts to divert the people’s attention away from real issues. This article was first publishe
The first democratic elections of the Arab spring are a moment of pride and hope for Tunisia and far beyond, says Ayman Ayoub.
