An article in The Economist has identified some encouraging signs in Tunisia - signs that the country is still moving forward on the rocky road to democracy.
The undisputed kick-starter of the Arab Spring, the Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia quickly skipped from the public eye as soon as it toppled its dictator, save for some scattered reports of stagnation, economic woe, and overall distress.
The Economist argues that such reports are misleading, occurring, as they do, in the context of Tunisia's unbroken commitment to drafting a new constitution. A 260-person body will be charged with fulfilling that task, and the creation of that party will take place via a general election scheduled for July 24th. A 16-member independent commission will monitor the polls, to guard against fraud or the abuse of power. Best of all, from the feminist standpoint, the government has mandated that half of the elected party must be women.
Though it is certainly premature to conclude that Tunisia has overcome its authoritarian proclivities, it is nevertheless encouraging to note that it has so far challenged the old familiar narrative of the failed revolution, so timelessly embodied by the great Pete Townsend: "Meet the new boss . . . same as the old boss."
May they please continue their good work!
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