Dear friends,

POMED is pleased to announce the release of a new publication, A Guide to the Tunisian Elections.

On October 23, Tunisians will vote for a national constituent assembly in the first competitive elections in the Arab world since historic uprisings swept the region this year. These elections will not only be critical for the future prospects of democracy in Tunisia, but will have implications for the entire Middle East and North Africa. If successful, they will help dispel claims of Arab exceptionalism to democracy, and could set an example for the rest of the region.  On the other hand, if problems stemming from these elections were to derail Tunisia’s democratic transition, that could be a considerable setback for democracy across the Arab world. Despite the significance of this moment, the National Constituent Assembly elections have received very little coverage in the American press. Yet there could hardly be a more important time for the United States to be well informed about the developments in Tunisia. While the revolution that overthrew President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali was fueled exclusively by indigenous forces, international support for Tunisia’s democratic transition will be critical to its success.

The dearth of substantive analysis on the elections prompted POMED to develop this guide for the Washington policy community. The report is informed by conversations with various Tunisian civil society activists, public opinion polling experts, political analysts, government officials, candidates for the constituent assembly, and leaders of numerous political parties, as well as representatives of various international organizations that are providing support to Tunisia’s political transition.  In presenting an overview of the political landscape as Tunisians head to the polls, we hope to facilitate better understanding of these critically important elections in Washington and encourage additional support from the U.S. and the international community for Tunisia’s historic transition to democracy.

The report (available to view or download as a PDF on our website) was compiled by POMED Senior Research Associate Daphne McCurdy, who will also be in Tunisia to observe the October 23 election.

In addition, we will be holding a public dicsussion about the Tunisian elections today, from 10:00am-11:30am, at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Chiheb Ghazouani, a Tunisian lawyer, and Mongi Boughzala, a professor and researcher of economics, are visiting from Tunis and will discuss the current environment in the lead-up to elections. POMED's Executive DirectorStephen McInerney will also provide commentary based on his recent trip to Tunisia.J. Scott Carpenter, a principal at Google Ideas and formerly a fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, will moderate the event. Click here for more information on the event, and click here to RSVP. You can call Anna Newby at            (202) 828-9660      , ext. 23 with any questions.

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