Tunisia's legitimacy and constitutional crisis: the Troika has failed

Abstract

In early July 2013 it looked as if Tunisia might be about to conclude an important first phase in the political transition, with its constituent assembly (Assemblée Nationale Constituante or ANC) preparing to vote on each of the articles in the latest draft of the constitution. Instead, the entire process is now threatened with failure. Since the Egyptian public mobilised against President Mohammed Morsi, leading opposition forces in Tunisia have been questioning the legitimacy of the constituent process. They say the current draft of the constitution is unacceptable, as the ANC's one-year mandate has long since expired. The assassination of opposition politician Mohamed Brahmi has not only caused the government, accused of being complicit in his death, to lose further credibility, it has also escalated the constitutional crisis. Since 25 July, 60 members of parliament have suspended their activity in the ANC. The government's efforts to remedy the situation have proved unsuccessful thus far: For now, the work of the ANC is suspended. (author's abstract)