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Tunisia

International academics join effort to highlight crackdown on freedom after jailing of opposition leader, Rached Ghannouchi

Wed 17 May 2023 12.33 EDT

European powers must stand by pro-democracy Tunisians resisting a fierce onslaught designed to take the country back to the darkest days of dictatorship, a letter from more than 70 academics has urged.

The letter, designed to shine a light on the Tunisian crackdown, was in part collated by Soumaya Ghannoushi, whose father, the Tunisian opposition leader, Rached Ghannouchi, was sentenced to a year in jail on Monday.

The case that resulted in Ghannouchis sentencing is likely to be one of several charges brought against him, and his daughter called on European leaders to be less timid in their denunciation of the loss of Tunisias hard-won freedoms.

The letter says that opposition leaders are facing a wide campaign of arbitrary arrests, politically motivated charges, demonisation and threats. All believers in the shared values of freedom and democracy around the world must stand by them in their struggle for freedom.

Ghannoushi, 81, the head of the Ennahda Movement and democratically elected as speaker of the now dissolved parliament, was arrested by nearly 100 officers at his home on 17 April, joining the dozens of opposition leaders in jail.

Academics from the US and Europe, including Middle East expert Franois Burgat, Islamic scholar John Esposito and renowned linguist and activist Noam Chomsky, claim the charges against him and other opposition leaders are a desperate attempt to eliminate all opposition and distract attention from the deepening political, economic and social crises in the country.

The letter says Ghannouchi is recognised as one of the most prominent advocates of democracy in the Arab world. He has been one of the most consistent voices of moderation and condemnation of extremism. His consensus-building approach and consistent calls for dialogue and unity across political, intellectual and ideological lines are needed in Tunisia, the wider region and beyond more than ever. The loss of such voices and of democracy in Tunisia would be a tragic loss far beyond the countrys borders.

A court on Monday sentenced Ghannouchi to a year in prison for allegedly referring to police officers as tyrants in what his party said amounted to a sham trial in which evidence was doctored. A European Union delegation visited Tunisia last week, but so far no sanctions have been imposed on the country.

Soumaya Ghannoush, who is based in London, told the Guardian that Tunisias president, Kais Saied, seemed determined to dismantle the state. Before we had a one-party rule. Now, its a one-man rule. He doesnt believe in political parties in any form of any organised body really. The country is on the verge of bankruptcy and on its knees, she said.

The EU is caught in a dilemma of seeking to avoid the collapse of Tunisias economy, fearing that further economic turmoil will only lead to an increase in people leaving the country for Italy.

The north African country had sought $4bn (3bn) in funding from the IMF and reached a staff-level agreement with the fund in October 2022 for a new 48-month extended fund facility worth about $1.9bn to support the governments programme for economic change. However, it has yet to secure funding from the international lender pending implementation of the actions required.

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Originally posted here:
European leaders urged to help Tunisians resist assault on democracy - The Guardian

THE ISSUE

Its Friday, the day we take a few moments to highlight the good news in Lancaster County and the surrounding region. Some of these items are welcome developments on the economic front or for area neighborhoods. Others are local stories of achievement, ingenuity, perseverance, compassion and creativity that represent welcome points of light as we confront critical and stressful issues in Pennsylvania, across the nation and around the world. All of this uplifting news deserves a brighter spotlight.

Politics is a nasty business arguably nastier now than at any other time in modern history. It has torn apart families, divided communities, inflicted pain on and sown fear in the most vulnerable people in our society.

It is sometimes difficult to find light in dark days.

Today, though, wed like say a few good words about Tuesday's primary election particularly about the hundreds of volunteers and scores of elections office workers who made sure things went smoothly across Lancaster County.

Well done. And thank you.

These volunteers and government employees put in long days doing a thankless job in an era when mistrust in our own neighbors and our institutions, including those responsible for running our elections, runs deep.

It is no simple feat.

Polls opened at 7 a.m., yes, but the preparations started much earlier that day. By the time the polls closed 13 hours later, more than 74,000 eligible voters had cast ballots at 242 polling places, mailed them in or dropped them off at the county elections office.

Heres another important number: zero.

There were no significant problems with access at polling places or counting the votes Tuesday.

And that is remarkable given the monumental scope of the responsibility and complicated nature of running elections. It was a slow, uneventful day for us, said Christa Miller, the countys top elections official. Just how we like it.

The county has taken important steps to count mail ballots more quickly, and the result is that the citizens who participate in this fundamental rite of our democracy are able to know the outcome in a matter of hours not days or even weeks, when doubt can fester and conspiracy theories can fill the void. Speed is a key ingredient in transparency where elections are concerned.

We know, too, that where there is trust in institutions there is also engagement.

On Tuesday, 1 in 4 eligible voters cast ballots in Lancaster County 25.18%, to be exact. Yes, that means 3 in 4 didnt vote, but the portion of the electorate who did participate in this primary was the second-largest of any other municipal primary in the last two decades.

Consider that only 14% turned out in 2019, the last municipal primary in which the county commissioners were on the ballot. Just 12% showed up in 2015 and 13% in 2011.

This years turnout trailed 2021, when about 28% of eligible voters participated in the primary. Still, the growing number of primary voters over the past two decades is a direct result of the states expanded no-excuse mail voting rules, which likely encourage voters who ordinarily would skip off-year primaries to take part.

The cultural issues driving many voters to the polls this year are challenging and divisive.

We are encouraged, though, that more people are choosing to participate in finding solutions by voting in primaries, by selecting the candidates who will defend their positions over the next five months and stand before the entire electorate in November.

This is how a functioning democracy works.

Tuesday was a good sign that ours does.

Congratulations to the Ephrata Mountaineers baseball team and the Warwick Warriors softball team, who captured Lancaster-Lebanon League championships this week.

The Mounts, who lost to Manheim Township in last years title game, built a 4-3 lead over Lampeter-Strasburg after three innings at Clipper Magazine Stadium on Monday. Coy Schwanger led the Mounts with two hits including a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Reliever Ben Burkey came on in the seventh and pitched out of a jam to work a scoreless inning, enabling the Mounts to capture their seventh league title and their first since 2018.

The Warriors, meantime, went into Wednesdays championship softball game at Millersville Universitys Seaber Stadium having scored just two runs in its previous 15 innings against Hempfield. The rivals went into extra innings, and the Warriors scored five times in the eighth to defeat the Black Knights 11-6. It was the first championship for the Warriors since 2010, the programs fourth in seven tries.

Congratulations, too, to the hundreds of high school athletes who are finishing up their seasons, whether in the playoffs or not. Your achievements this season have been remarkable, and the work youve put in as student-athletes has enriched your education in innumerable ways.

What would Mothers Day in Lancaster County be without the Make-A-Wish Mothers Day Truck Convoy?

Let us rephrase that question.

What would life for critically ill children be without people such as Jonathon Werley, a 19-year-old Berks County trucker who drove his familys rig around the county Sunday to help raise money for the charity?

Or Ken Witner, 69, of Millersville, who made more than 200 balloon animals for the Make-A-Wish kids while his sister painted their faces?

The best part of the whole thing, Witner told LNP | LancasterOnline reporter Olivia Miller, is meeting the kids who have actually had their wishes come true.

If the strength of a community can be measured in miles, wed say Lancaster County comes in at about 26, running between Manheim and Mount Joy.

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This week's good things: Democracy in action, excellence on the ... - LNP | LancasterOnline

LAHORE: Speakers at a webinar foresee a bleak future for democracy in Pakistan, where Imran Khan, as the main opposition leader, positions himself as a god-like figure while challenging the military establishment, and the ruling alliance of the PDM plays as the puppets of the establishment.

The webinar on What is happening in Pakistan was organised by the Asia-Europe Peoples Forum and moderated by Zaigham Abbas on Friday.

Anchorperson Munizae Jahangir expressed her concerns about plans to establish military courts to try civilians involved in attacks on military installations on May 9. She fears that this could further restrict civil and political space in the country.

She stated that the state should prioritise justice (delivery) over a revenge mindset.

She advised all political parties to come together and find a solution to the current crisis instead of exacerbating the situation.

She defended the poor performance of politicians when in power, arguing that they were mostly preoccupied with the militarys agenda for their own survival, rather than focusing on the issues faced by the country and its citizens.

Ms Jahangir mentioned that she had never witnessed democracy being given a genuine opportunity to govern the country throughout her life.

Political analyst Bilal Zahoor remarked that Imran Khan lacks a coherent ideology or an alternative plan to bring about a revolution against the status quo. Instead, he simply shifts his targeted enemies, from the US to the Sharifs and Zardaris, and now to the army, without addressing the fundamental flaws in the current system.

He added that Imran Khan presents himself as a god by using a binary language of what should or should not be done.

He expressed regret that the political parties that ruled the country between 2008 and 2018 failed to address the peoples issues, thereby creating an environment where Imran Khan could be portrayed as a messiah.

Political activist Farooq Tariq partially held the IMF and judiciary accountable for the current poor economic, political, and social state of the country.

He stated that the ongoing clash between the PTI and PDM is, in fact, a dispute among the ruling class, while the working class continues to suffer.

Recalling his struggle during the COP23 in Sharam al-Sheikh, Egypt, where he sought reparations for the people affected by climate change in Pakistan, he lamented that the victims of the recent climate disaster in Sindh have not received any compensation. The funds received from international donors were allegedly embezzled by the powerful classes in the country.

Published in Dawn, May 20th, 2023

Read more:
'Democracy never given genuine opportunity to govern country' - DAWN.com

This is an earthquake: Voters this weekend decisively rejected the countrys years-long military rule.

Progressives and other members of Thailands pro-democracy opposition parties scored a stunning victory in the countrys elections this weekend, dealing a major blow to military-backed incumbents. Their overwhelming success, which came as a shock to political observers of the region, indicated that Thai voters are interested in a change from the current military-led regime and sent a significant message in favor of a more representative government.

The progressive Move Forward Party, led by Pita Limjaroenrat, is projected to win 151 seats in the House the highest of any group while the populist opposition party Pheu Thai, aligned with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, will likely win 141 seats. Collectively, the two parties will now hold at least 292 of 500 seats in the House.

This is an earthquake, since Move Forward is the first party to directly challenge major Thai institutions like the monarchy and military the first to call for real institutional reform, Council on Foreign Relations fellow Josh Kurlantzick told Vox.

The military has long had a hold on Thai politics, a grip only strengthened by military coups in 2006 and 2014. That latter coup was led by current Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who ushered in a new constitution that gave the military unprecedented power over government. One of those post-coup reforms threatens Move Forwards coalition: 376 members of parliament are needed to elect a new prime minister, and the 250-person Senate was appointed by the military.

Move Forward said Monday that several parties have agreed to join its governing coalition, giving it control of 309 of parliaments 500 seats. That leaves Pita Limjaroenrat 67 votes short of the majority needed to become prime minister. Its unclear whether the Senate will work to cobble together a military-aligned minority government, or split its support between the two factions.

The overwhelming landslide by the Move Forward party is an indication that the voters are ready for the country to be led by the people, not the military or the monarchy, says Tyrell Haberkorn, a professor who studies Southeast Asian politics at the University of Wisconsin Madison. The question now is if the military will actually listen to the people and step down, as they must, or if they will use their usual tricks to stay in power.

Voter support for progressives in this election highlights widespread interest in reforms that would dramatically change how Thailands government currently operates.

In 2014, the Thai military mounted a coup that unseated a democratically elected government in the country. Shortly after, the current kings father acknowledged the new, military-led government as legitimate. Since then, Prayuth Chan-ocha, formerly a general, has led the government. And in 2019, he was able to win an election for prime minister amid allegations of irregularities and questions about vote counting delays.

Anger over those elections, the armys crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, and the state dissolving the predecessor of the Move Forward Party led to prolonged protests, including by students in 2020 who wanted the military out of government and to reduce the influence of the monarchy, which, along with the army, holds most of the power in Thailand.

The 2014 coup is one of a few that the country has experienced in recent history as the military and monarchy have collaborated to consolidate political power. In recent years, both factions have squared off against the Pheu Thai populist party, which supports social policies aimed at helping the poor. The rise of progressives this year signals a push from some voters for another alternative to the status quo in the form of the Move Forward Party, which has championed institutional reforms.

A key reform that the Move Forward Party has endorsed would alter the Thai lese majeste laws which severely penalize people for criticizing the monarchy, including with up to 15 years of jail time. Those laws led to numerous high-profile arrests during the protests. Other ideas the party backs include getting rid of the 2014 military-drafted constitution, and moving to one that gives the public a greater say in legislating. Collectively, the two reforms signal an interest in shifting toward a more traditional democracy. Such proposals have received immense support from younger voters, who turned out in high numbers in order to support progressive candidates.

For the first time, it will be possible to bring the monarchy under the law, says Haberkorn, of the potential influence of a progressive-led government. There has never been a proper transition to democracy, in which the outgoing military leaders are held to account for the coups they launched and the violence they perpetrated, in Thailand. This election means that it is time for the military to be held to account for the many acts of violence they have committed, including the 2010 crackdown on [pro-democracy demonstrators], the 2006 and 2014 coups.

Should a progressive-led government actually come to power, Haberkorn added that it could have a tremendous impact in Southeast Asia more broadly, providing backing for democracy and democratic ideals in neighboring countries.

Rather than collaborating with the dictatorship in Myanmar, a Move Forward party-led government is likely to condemn the military regime and support democracy in Myanmar, she told Vox.

Although progressive and populist parties have won a sizable number of seats in parliament, its not yet clear that theyll be able to elect their preferred prime minister, or if the military will seek to destabilize the government as it has in past coups.

The prospect for yet another stalemate in Thai politics pitting a popular electoral movement with the countrys conservative establishment still loom large, says Thomas Pepinsky, a Cornell political scientist who studies the region.

The massive win by progressives, though, suggests that Thai voters are hungry for something different.

See original here:
Thailand election results 2023: Voters back pro-democracy parties in major blow to military rule - Vox.com

Autocracy is a word that carries a lot of weight, and is not one were used to hearing in the United States when describing our political system or those in elected positions.

Autocracys defining feature is the concentration of power in the hands of a few, allowing them to exercise significant control over the political, economic, and social aspects of a country.

There is a newly formed group called Floridians for Democracy still in its infancy thats being created by southwest Floridians in response to what they say are growing autocratic trends here in Florida, and more broadly across the United States. We spoke with its co-founder and three of its founding members.

Guests:

Jim Nathan, co-founder of Floridians for Democracy which is an outgrowth of their initial steering committee called The 1939 Project. He founded it with his wife Karen. Jim served as CEO for Lee Health for 34 years, and since retiring has been an adjunct professor and Executive-in-Residence for the Marieb College Health and Human Services at Florida Gulf Coast University. You can contact Jim at VoicesforRJ@gmail.com for more information about the newly-formed group.

Dr. Robert Hilliard is a humanitarian, activist, educator, author, playwright and World War II veteran. He was former Chief of Public Broadcasting at the FCC and was present for the signing of the Public Broadcasting Act in 1967. He was also a professor and dean at Emerson College in Boston for more than three decades and remains professor emeritus. He is author of dozens of books and plays. Bob's life story was featured in the WGCU-TV documentary, A Force for Freedom: The Robert Hilliard Story. Click here to listen to Dr. Hilliard's episode of Three Song Stories.

Katelyn Tellgren is a senior at FGCU studying Sociology and Gender Studies, and she founded FGCU's chapter of Generation Action with Planned Parenthood.

WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong anddonate now. Thank you.

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'Floridians for Democracy' formed in response to what members say ... - WGCU