It has been more than one year since Tunisians toppled Zine Al Abidine Ben Al who ruled Tunisia for 23 years. The government has since suspended the old constitution and set non-governmental commissions to install new democratic reforms in the north-African country. On October 23rd, Tunisians had their first free elections ever since half a century.
IMF managing director, Christine Lagarde, met with Tunisian businessmen and journalists on her second day of her first visit to the Middle East, in Tunisia. Lagarde, stressed during the press conference that she held the importance of the security situation to help maintain a stable economy in the country. “Security and stability are determining factors to boost investments,” she said.
The overthrow of Ben Ali, ex-Tunisian president, opened up the opportunity for many international Non-Governmental organizations to endorse their activities in Tunisia or open new office. During Ben Ali’s rule, human rights and fundamental liberties were highly suppressed and human rights activists were often constrained to militate in unrecognized organizations.
Tunisians might have ousted the head of a dysfunctional regime, but they cannot topple the system overnight because they are the system themselves.
