TUNIS It was here that the years first Arab revolution accomplished the unthinkable, forcing a long-ruling autocrat to flee. Emboldened by the Tunisian revolt, the regions streets awakened. Egyptians ousted President Hosni Mubarak. Libyan protesters-turned-fighters fought a bloody war for eight months and on Thursday killed Col. Moammar Gaddafi. In Syria, Bahrain, Yemen and beyond, the unrest continues.
On Sunday, Tunisia where the most peaceful of the revolts unfolded will take the next step as citizens participate in the first election of the Arab Spring.
The success or failure of the vote to elect assembly members who will write the nations new constitution and appoint an interim president will set a precedent for other Arab nations where citizens are calling for democratic reforms. But it will also be a window into the character of the governments that emerge from this years tumult: secular or religious, democratic or despotic.
If we succeed, well send the message that democracy is possible as we sent the message that it is possible to remove a dictator, said Sihem Bensedrine, a journalist and human rights activist who has fought for decades to expose abuses and defend freedom of expression in Tunisia. We will be the recipe.
Tunisian election first vote of the Arab Spring - The Washington Post
On Sunday, Tunisia where the most peaceful of the revolts unfolded will take the next step as citizens participate in the first election of the Arab Spring.
The success or failure of the vote to elect assembly members who will write the nations new constitution and appoint an interim president will set a precedent for other Arab nations where citizens are calling for democratic reforms. But it will also be a window into the character of the governments that emerge from this years tumult: secular or religious, democratic or despotic.
If we succeed, well send the message that democracy is possible as we sent the message that it is possible to remove a dictator, said Sihem Bensedrine, a journalist and human rights activist who has fought for decades to expose abuses and defend freedom of expression in Tunisia. We will be the recipe.
Tunisian election first vote of the Arab Spring - The Washington Post