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WORLD NEWS Friday 26 July 2019

Tunisian president Essebsi dies at 92; interim leader put in

By BOUAZZA BEN BOUAZZA associated with Tunisia's
Associated Press first president, Habib Bour-
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tu- guiba, who built up the
nisian President Beji Caid country and educated its
Essebsi, the North African people yet brooked little
country's first democrati- opposition. Essebsi proudly
cally elected leader and claimed to be Bourguiba's
a symbol of the genera- disciple, and from 1965 to
tion of Tunisians who shook 1986, he held several se-
off French rule in the 1950s, nior roles including defense
died Thursday. He was 92. minister, foreign minister
In a hasty ceremony hours and interior minister.
after Essebsi died at a mili- As a supporter of openness
tary hospital in Tunis, the toward more political plu-
leader of parliament took ralism, Essebsi occasionally
over as interim president. clashed with Bourguiba,
However, Essebsi's death who was known as Tunisia's
while still in office could "supreme fighter."
lead to new power strug- After Bourguiba was over-
gles in the only country to thrown in a bloodless coup
emerge from the 2011 Arab by Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali
Spring uprisings with a func- in 1987, Essebsi left politics
tioning democracy and to be a lawyer and author,
relative stability. including writing a biogra-
The government declared phy of Bourguiba. He was
seven days of mourning, In this Thursday, Oct. 25, 2018 file photo Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi gestures during a press little heard from but never
as condolences poured in conference in Tunis. Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi, the country's first democratically elected fully renounced his political
from several Arab countries leader, has died at 92, his office announced Thursday July 25, 2019. ambitions. Ben Ali's fall in
and the United Nations, Associated Press the Arab Spring of 2011 led
A funeral is planned for mentalism and against the sians "to strengthen your declared multiple days to a difficult democratic
Saturday. U.N. Secretary- political chaos that rocked unity and solidarity so that of mourning over Essebsi's transition for Tunisians. By
General Antonio Guterres Tunisia after the "jasmine the country can pursue its death, Syria's government the time Essebsi founded
said Essebsi was "a pivotal revolution" overthrew a march toward progress." was notably silent. Demon- his own party in 2012 —
figure" in Tunisia's history longtime dictator and un- However, questions about strations that broke out in already deep into his 80s
who "was instrumental in leashed similar protests for the legitimacy of Ennaceur Syria in 2011, in part inspired — many were ready for a
successfully steering the democracy throughout the assuming the presidency by Tunisia, have turned into familiar face. Essebsi often
country through its historic region. could arise because the a bloody civil war. claimed with pride that it
and peaceful transition to Essebsi was seen as a unify- Constitutional Court was Most of Essebsi's political was the overwhelming sup-
democracy." ing figure, but was ultimate- supposed to confirm the career came well before port of Tunisian women that
"President Essebsi was a ly unable to bring prosperity office was vacant. But the the Arab Spring uprisings, propelled him to power
Tunisian pioneer, an Arab or lasting calm to a country court itself doesn't exist yet and he outlived most of his in 2014. Women in Tunisia
and African trailblazer, and beset by economic crises because lawmakers dis- peers in Tunisia's indepen- won relatively broad rights
a global leader," the Unit- and fending off sporadic agree over who its mem- dence generation. under Bourguiba decades
ed Nations chief said in a deadly terror attacks. bers should be. In April, he announced he ago and many feared an
statement. Under the Tunisian Con- Tunisia remains a haven of wouldn't run in a November Islamist wave would threat-
Heir to Tunisia's founding stitution, parliament presi- political openness and rel- election, saying a younger en those freedoms.
father, Essebsi emerged dent Mohamed Ennaceur ative peace compared to person should lead the However, not having a
from retirement at age 88 should serve as interim the countries led by strong- country instead. majority in parliament, Es-
to win office in 2014 in the president for 45 to 90 days men elsewhere in the Arab Born Nov. 29, 1926, when sebsi had to make an al-
wake of the country's Arab while a new election is or- world and to the chaos Tunisia was a French pro- liance with Islamist party
Spring revolt. He presented ganized. reigning in neighboring Lib- tectorate, Essebsi entered Ennahdha, which caused
his centrist Nida Tounes In a brief speech after he ya. politics in the 1940s and discontent in his party and
movement as a bulwark took the oath of office, As Lebanon's prime minis- trained as a lawyer in cost him a good part of his
against rising Islamic funda- Ennaceur called on Tuni- ter and Jordan's royal court Paris. But his name is most electorate.q