Tunisian election the first vote of the Arab Spring

[Chris]

TUNIS — It was here that the year’s first Arab revolution accomplished the unthinkable, forcing a long-ruling autocrat to flee. Emboldened by the Tunisian revolt, the region’s 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 nation’s 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 year’s tumult: secular or religious, democratic or despotic.

“If we succeed, we’ll 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

 

[driveby]

Yeah but the Arab spring has been keeping the US economy down......

 

[Katzndogz]

What's REALLY happening in Tunisia

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/tunisia-police-teargas-protest-blasphemous-tv-station-181316780.html

Tunisian extremists fire-bombed the home of a TV station chief Friday, hours after militants protesting its broadcast of a film they say violated Islamic values clashed with police in the streets of Tunis.

About a hundred men, some of whom threw Molotov cocktails, lay siege to the home of Nessma private television chief Nabil Karoui late Friday, the station reported in its evening news bulletin.

It's the arab spring. Emphasis on the arab part.

 

[paulitician]

Meet the new Boss,same as the old Boss. These loons will likely be even worse. The same is true of Egypt and Libya. Be careful what you wish for Americans. Our new puppets may not always behave themselves. Look for big-time Blow-Back on this stuff in the future.

 

[Remodeling Maidiac]

Posting any early results is utterly pointless. Until the turmoil within these countries subsides we have no way of knowing if all this was good for our nation as well as our allies.

Reserve your desire for partisan talking points until the story unfolds completely.