Enhancing Public Accountability and Trust in Tunisia

Before the 2011 revolution, the Constitutional Democratic Rally (RCD) dominated Tunisia's political life allowing very few parties to exist, and outlawing many opposition parties. Now, new Tunisian political parties have become complex institutions that often face internal ideological rivalries, strategic differences, and leadership divisions. The post-revolution experience has demonstrated to Tunisians that good governance stems from compromise and the adoption of internal democratic principles. Political party leadership can no longer unilaterally make decisions in consultation with just a small cadre of elites, but are now obliged to include the views of all party members and the public. Parties need a unifying vision and strategy that involves addressing the power struggle between the old guard of pre-revolution party leaders and the new change-makers arising among youth and minorities across Tunisia. Experts suggest that Tunisian parties will need to undertake several strategic reforms to be successful, including resolving the dependency on single-personality politics; developing representative party platforms; and overcoming their ideological fragmentation and resistance to a new generation of leaders. Today, only a quarter of Tunisians believe that democracy is thriving in Tunisia and half believe that clear and responsive party platforms are crucial and often missing. Two-thirds of Tunisians do not identify with any political party, and as many as 80 percent do not trust any political party. Almost half of all Tunisians would like political party platforms to address economic issues while the other half wants to see a clear political agenda that engage citizens at the local and the national levels. The majority of Tunisians agree that politicians do not do enough to address the needs of youth.