Tunisian exile rejects claims of backing fundamentalists

Islamist party leader, Rachid Ghannouchi, said extremists can be contained by being given a place in a democratic system Rachid Ghannouchi, head of the Islamist party tipped to take the biggest share of the vote in Tunisia’s first free elections, has said his party is not harbouring fundamentalist elements and that extremists can be contained by giving them a place in the democratic system. Voters hope that the historic election on Sunday will end nine months of fragile and discredited interim governments – and lay to rest fears that the corruption, police brutality and crooked legal system of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s despotic regime has largely remained in place since the revolution of 14 January . The An-Nadha party is expected to take the biggest share of the vote — a political earthquake in the midst of the Arab spring. Once outlawed and brutally repressed, it was only legalised months ago, after Ghannouchi’s triumphant return from exile in London. . Well-funded and with strong grassroots support in the poorest areas, An-Nahda has positioned itself as a moderate Islamist voice which emphasises democracy, consensus politics, family values, including lowering Tunisia’s high divorce rate. It has promised to respect Tunisia’s secular civil society upholding women’s rights, the most advanced in the Arab world. Ghannouchi, whom followers call the Sheikh, has hammered home a moderate discourse. But critics have raised concerns about the party rank and file, veterans of Ben Ali’s prisons and years of clandestine activity who are more militant, and more fundamentalist. Many complain of a “double discourse”‚ suggesting Ghannouchi says things to ensure the party’s victory but will act differently once in power. “In all their formal appearances the Nahda people sound really moderate,” says Alya Ghribi of Afeq Tunes. “The same guy will wear a nice western suit and then show up later in tribal clothes and use religious language.” Ghannouchi said his was “a broad umbrella party” but rejected the notion that a fundamentalist strain could come to the fore after the election. He said any counter-currents were “in the minority, not the majority … No one in my party rejects the principles of democracy or believes there a contradiction in Islam and democracy. Nor does anyone reject the equality of the sexes.” Nor do they think “that Mr Ghannouchi is a representative of Islam or a spokesman of Islam or infallible,” he added. After demonstrations last week mainly by Salafists, against the screening of animated film Persepolis caused tensions, Ghannouchi said the minority of Salafist hardliners could be contained if allowed a political voice. “Democracy is capable of absorbing extremism,” he said, citing far-right parties in Europe. “Tunisian society has firmly established moderate religious traditions,” he said, rejecting radical religiosity as imported from the Arabian peninsula. The elections will appoint a short-lived assembly to rewrite the constitution before parliamentary and presidential elections. A complex proportional representation system means that no one party can take a majority. Ghannouchi said this was “unfair” but he had accepted it because Tunisia needed a broad coalition government at this transitional stage. This week, Ghannouchi was accused of stoking tensions by saying An-Nahda would take to the streets if the election was rigged. “I did not issue a threat,” he said, but added that all Tunisians, regardless of party, “were prepared to go back on to the streets in another revolution” if the vote was not transparent and fair. Tunisia Africa Islam Religion Angelique Chrisafis Ian Black guardian.co.uk

Posted by on October 21, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.