(Image Source: euronews)
 
BY ADNAN S. KHAN

The entire Arab world was shaken by a country, no bigger than Florida. Now, Tunisia, the birthplace of the Arab Spring, might inspire -- once again -- with a peaceful transition into a democratic society.
 
The country is holding its first ever free elections Sunday and BBC reports the people are ecstatic.
 
“There is tremendous excitement. Many people are voting for the first time in their lives even if they’re over 50, because they say this didn’t count before. Vote or stay at home you got President Zine Abidine Ben Ali. Today the people feel their vote does count. This is a very different Tunisia then the one that existed for 20 odd years.”
 
In the absence of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the religious Ennahda party has become the frontrunner. Al Jazeera highlights the major conflict between religious and secularist groups.
 
REPORTER: “Tunisian women are among the most liberal in the Arab world. They have the right to abortion and contraception. They could really swing things in this election … But many Tunisians are conservative and deeply religious. Under President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali just having a beard and praying could’ve got you into trouble with the security forces.”
 
According to euronews, many secularists fear the rise of Ennadha will compromise Tunisia’s moderate identity. But an Ennahda supporter tells euronews that’s not the case.
 
SUPPORTER: “Many call Ennahda an extremist movement. If it was it would react violently when its activist were persecuted and tortured during the reign of Ben Ali. We have tried adhere to modernist theories.”
 
But France 24 reports the odds of the country taking a turn for worse are slim and for the time-being people are simply enjoying the freedom they’ve been denied for so long.
 
“The Tunisian system of proportional representation means that no matter how the votes fall, no one party will be able to dominate the elections or win a majority. The next step, the parliamentary elections, are due to take place within 12 months.”

World News

Fruits of Arab Springs; First Free Elections in Tunisia

October 23, 2011
(2:06)
Tunisia, known for being a secular and moderate state, now fears the rise of the religious Ennahdha movement.
   
TRANSCRIPT

To leave a comment, please log in with Facebook Connect or your Newsy account. Register here to create one.
MOST RECENT|MOST POPULAR|MOST COMMENTED|HIGHEST RATED

10-year-old Regains Hearing with Cochlear Implant
The implant works like a traditional hearing aid, but with higher auditory success.
(1:49)
May 26, 2012
Video from Google's Project Glass Released
Google released the first video from its Project Glass reality headset.
(1:15)
May 26, 2012
Top News Headlines: At Least 90 Dead in Syrian Attacks
More headlines: Drone strike kills suspected militants; Shooting spree in Finland; Pope's butler arrested.
(1:21)
May 26, 2012
Facebook Looking to Build Own Browser?
The social media giant may be interested in acquiring Opera Software, and grabbing their own browser in the process.
(1:29)
May 26, 2012
Nearly One Third Of Olympic Tickets Remain Unsold
Nearly a third of the London 2012 Olympic event tickets remain unsold.
(1:29)
May 26, 2012
Skydiver Survives Jump Without Parachute
A video of Gary Connery skydiving from 2,400 feet in the air without a parachute has gone viral.
(2:40)
May 26, 2012
15-Year-Old Boy Invents New Way to Detect Cancer
A 15-year-old Maryland boy won a $75,000 prize for inventing a dipstick sensor that can detect pancreatic cancer.
(1:53)
May 26, 2012
Prehistoric Flutes Date Back 40,000 Years
When scientists reanalyzed prehistoric artifacts from Germany, they discovered modern humans may have been in Europe earlier than previously thought.
(1:43)
May 26, 2012
Private Spacecraft Docks with International Space Station
SpaceX successfully docked its Dragon capsule into the International Space Station.
(2:40)
May 25, 2012
Bankia Suspends Shares; Multibillion Euro Bailout in Future?
The Spanish bank halts trading of its shares in advance of a board meeting. Bankia is expected to request a major bailout from the government.
(2:10)
May 25, 2012
Top News Headlines: Police Find Mother of Kids Left in Shed
More headlines: FBI identifies man in Miami plane incident; Hurricane Bud headed toward Mexico; Wall Street analysts look at Facebook's flop.
(1:24)
May 25, 2012
Exonerated Former Football Star Asks for Second Chance
After Brian Banks' rape conviction from 2002 was dismissed, he's asking NFL coaches for a chance to prove himself on the field.
(1:20)
May 25, 2012
Ukrainian Lawmakers Brawl Over Language Bill
A Ukrainian Parliament session erupted into a boxing match over the proposal to make Russian the official language of the eastern region.
(1:13)
May 25, 2012
Average Salary for CEO: $9.6 Million
According to an analysis from The Associated Press, the average salary for the head of a public company was $9.6 million in 2011.
(2:28)
May 25, 2012

Newsy

www3
...