On January 14, Tunisians sent shockwaves coursing through the Arab world by ousting their despised dictator, Zine el Abidine Ben Ali. On Sunday, with the revolutions it set in train still raging elsewhere, Tunisia has again sent a signal of hope to a troubled region by holding the first election of the Arab spring. The country’s new class of politicians – both the victors and vanquished – must now complete the hat trick by entrenching the habits of democracy in a country that has long been deprived of such freedoms.
Sunday’s elections were a sound start. International observers judged them free and fair. Joyous citizens took part in overwhelming numbers. Just as importantly, the elections were held quickly – just nine months after the fall of the ancien regime. This outcome was by no means guaranteed. In Egypt elections have been postponed, while Libya is only just emerging from eight months of conflict. That Tun-isia avoided such pitfalls is a tribute to its people, its politicians, and its admirably restrained military.
Yet even as they celebrate this achievement, the country’s new leaders should remember that elections are merely a means to an end. As was shown by the post-poll turmoil in Algeria in 1991, what happens after elections is just as im-portant as what happens during them.
