Tunisia Analysis: Converting the Opposition into Government Supporters?

Prime Minister Mohamed GhannouchiSo Tunisia is now in a 60-day phase between the announcement of the Government, replacing the deposed regime of President Ben Ali, and elections. While the contest on the streets against Ben Ali's former security men seems to have been won, we wait to see if the second challenge in our analysis yesterday will be met: will this Government be seen as legitimate?

A symbolic answer was attempted by about 1000 protesters on Monday in Tunis. A demonstration that started peacefully was dispersed by water cannon and tear gas when demonstrators tried to approach Government buildings, but the political demands remain.

The first of those is the removal of any figure connected with the Constitutional Demoncracy Rally (RCD) that has gripped power in Tunisia since 1956 and, more recently, any figure connected with Ben Ali.  

Yesterday's composition of the Cabinet changes the politics around that demand, however. The three parties who moved from opposition to putting their leaders into the Government as Ministers of Regional Development, Higher Education, and Health may not be so keen to insist on the removal of RCD members, including the President, Prime Minister, Former Minister, and Minister of Interior, who are now colleagues. One supporter of the Progressive Democratic Party explained on Monday, ""Members of the ruling party that are in the government are technocratic, they are not political. And we demanded that people who are dirty in corruption and crimes should be evacuated from this government."

The inclusion of the former opposition leaders --- Ahmed Najib Chebbi (PDP), Ahmed Ibrahim (Ettajdid), and Mostafa Mohammad Najar (Union of Freedom and Labour) --- may also deal with the second demand of protesters: representation of all parties in Tunisian politics. The Government also lifted the ban on political parties on Monday, so on paper at least, Tunisia has moved with days from an autocratic, one-party regime to an open, multi-party system.

One long-time opposition leader, Moncef Marzouki, said on Monday he would stand for President. But what about other opposition parties and their politicians? For example, will the Government allow Rached Ghannouchi, the exiled head of the al-Nahda Party, not only to return to Tunisia but to stand --- along with his members --- in Parliamentary and Presidential contests?

There may be no street protest in Tunis today, but one of the challenge posed by a trade unionist participating in Monday's rally lingers. "Who did the revolt? It's the people, those trade union leaders ... they need to find their aspirations in the government. This government does not answer those aspirations,"