1. Tunisia Unrest-2011
Created By :
Jaydev Doshi

2. About Tunisia
• Independence: March 20 1956 from France
• Population: Around 10 million
• Density: 63/Km2
• Religion: Islamic

3. Tunisian Politics
• Constitutional republic, with a president
serving as chief of state, prime minister as
head of government.
• While Tunisia is formally a democracy with a
multi-party system, the secular Constitutional
Democratic Rally (RCD), formerly Neo
Destour, has controlled the country as one of
the most repressive regimes in the Arab World
since its independence in 1956.

4. Tunisian Politics
• President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali had been in
office since 1987.
• He was the 2nd president of the country after
Habib Bourguiba from the same party.
• He won the elections in 2009 with a landslide
votes of 89.62% for him. The Voter turnout
was 89.45%

5. Unrest
• However, the government is widely criticized for its
corruption and nepotism.
• Government accused of Kleptocracy for controlling
much of the business sector in the country.
• Jan 2008 issue of Foreign Policy Magazine reported
that Tunisia's First Lady had been using the
737 Boeing Business Jet of the government to make
"unofficial visits" to European Fashion Capitals.

6. Trigger Point
• The trigger point for the unrest came after the
self Immolation of Mohamed Bouazizi, a
graduate who took the drastic step after his
fruit cart was consicated.

7. Jasmine Revolution
• 17 Dec 2010 : Mohamed Bouazizi sets himself on fire in
Protest of his fruit cart being confiscated by authorities.
• 18 Dec 2010 : Wide spread riots in Sidi Bouzid region.
• 22 Dec 2010 : Several other take the extreme steps to protest
against the repressive government.
• 27 Dec 2010 : Protest reaches Capital with thousands
expressing solidarity with residents of Sidi Bouzid and calling
for jobs.
• 29 Dec 2010 : Ben Ali shuffled his cabinet to remove his
communications minister.

8. Jasmine Revolution
• 3 Jan 2011 : Protests turn violent with forces using tear gas and
rioter burning tires and attacking officers.
• 4 Jan 2011 : Ben Ali promises 300,000 new jobs would be
created, though he does not clarify what that meant.
• 6 Jan 2011 : Lawyers go on a strike to protest against “unjustified
attacks”
• 10 Jan 2011 : Government announced the indefinite closure of all
schools and universities.
• 14 Jan 2011 : Ben Ali dissolved his government and declared a state
of emergency. He fled the country on the very same day.
• 14 Jan 2011 : Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi then briefly
took over as acting president. Ben Ali fled to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
• 16 Jan 2011: Imed Trabelsi, a nephew of Ben Ali's wife, died from a
stab wound he received 2 days before. He was the first victim of the
Ben Ali's extended family during the protests.

9. Significance of the Protest
• Tunisia is one of the rich country in the neighborhood
with a relatively stable government.
• Ben Ali had won the elections with a majority of 90 %
but was still ousted due to this protest.
• The revolution brought to surface the issues faced by
the Tunisian people under a repressive government.
• It led to the removal of the CDR government which had
been ruling the nation since its independence.
• Has caused similar protests to surface in the
neighboring countries.