Tunisia approves new post-Arab Spring constitution in landslide 200-4 vote - Polidicks

[img]http://imgkk.com/i/4jsd.jpg[/img] [url]http://www.tunisia-live.net/2014/01/26/new-tunisian-constitution-adopted/[/url] [quote]Tunisia’s National Constituent Assembly voted overwhelmingly Sunday night to adopt a new constitution. The final draft is the result of meticulous and often contentious negotiations, but was overwhelming approved by assembly members. Over 90 percent of the membership (200 members) voted for it, 4 voted against, and 12 abstained. This support far exceeded the two-thirds majority needed for passage. The vote followed a floor reading of the entire 146-article document, the product of two years of work. The NCA was elected in October 2011 for the task of drafting the constitution. Despite initial hopes that the process would be completed in a year, ongoing political disputes and the separate assassinations of two politicians drew it out until today. The constitution is expected to be signed by the president, the prime minister, and the speaker of the assembly tomorrow. It will replace the 1956 constitution drafted when Tunisia gained its independence from France. After the floor reading was finished, members drew out several large flags from their seats, waved them, and draped them over their desks. Speaker Mustapha Ben Jaafar led a commemoration of the two assembly members who had died during the constitution-drafting process. Mohamed Brahmi was assassinated in July 2013, and Mohamed Allouche died suddenly this week.[/quote] [url=http://www.tunisia-live.net/2014/01/21/tunisias-draft-constitution-an-english-translation/]Read the constitution[/url]

Good for them, hopefully all of those countries will stabilize soon and they can live peacefully.

Tunisia will become mostly secular just like Turkey and Lebanon, this is great news.

It's arguably the most progressive constitution in the Arab world right now. Tunisia's revolution paid off, or so it seems.

[QUOTE=smurfy;43683024]or so it seems.[/QUOTE] this is probably important. take note.

[QUOTE=Daniel Smith;43682786]Tunisia will become mostly secular just like Turkey and Lebanon, this is great news.[/QUOTE] until some islamic party comes in and confuses the word secular with sharia and then fucks the whole thing up again [editline]26th January 2014[/editline] wow the bill of rights for tunisa makes the U.S.'s bill rights look increadibly racist, sexist, and not very protective, course it does contain some articles that are just weird such as [quote]Article 42: The state shall promote sports and shall seek to provide all the facilities necessary for the exercise of physical and leisure activities. Article 43: The right to water shall be guaranteed. Conservation and the rational use of water shall be a duty of the State and society. Article 44: Contribution to a sound climate and the right to a sound and balanced environment shall be guaranteed. The state shall provide the necessary means to eliminate environmental pollution. - See more at: [url]http://www.tunisia-live.net/2014/01/21/tunisias-draft-constitution-an-english-translation/#sthash.L7PhJvYu.dpuf[/url][/quote] weird, that those would be in such a rigid doccument such as a constitution where they must be upheald, so things like sport-funding cuts would be unconstitutional and even water shortages would be seen as a problem [editline]26th January 2014[/editline] ah found one [quote]Article 73: Running for the position of President of the Republic shall be a right entitled to every male and female voter who holds Tunisian nationality since birth, [B]whose religion is Islam[/B]. [/quote]

Tunisia is in a pretty damn hot part of the world. I wouldn't be surprised if water is considered pretty important to implement there.

[QUOTE=Sableye;43684134]until some islamic party comes in and confuses the word secular with sharia and then fucks the whole thing up again [editline]26th January 2014[/editline] wow the bill of rights for tunisa makes the U.S.'s bill rights look increadibly racist, sexist, and not very protective, course it does contain some articles that are just weird such as weird, that those would be in such a rigid doccument such as a constitution where they must be upheald, so things like sport-funding cuts would be unconstitutional and even water shortages would be seen as a problem [editline]26th January 2014[/editline] ah found one[/QUOTE] They live in a region where water is scarce and the infrastructure for said water is pretty outdated.

[QUOTE=Sableye;43684134]wow the bill of rights for tunisa makes the U.S.'s bill rights look increadibly racist, sexist, and not very protective, course it does contain some articles that are just weird such as weird, that those would be in such a rigid doccument such as a constitution where they must be upheald, so things like sport-funding cuts would be unconstitutional and even water shortages would be seen as a problem [/QUOTE] It's not so weird. And sport activities and culture support can be found in many constitutions across the world. Keep in mind that the US constitution is generally seen as very restrictive on what the government can or cannot do. It's generally used as an example of a negative constitution (what the government will not do) as opposed to a positive one (what the government will do). Also the right to water is most likely a cultural thing, from being in a desert.

[QUOTE=Sableye;43684134]ah found one[/QUOTE] Honestly that's no worse than the US, where claiming to be anything other than Christian is considered political suicide. Yeah it's not in the constitution but that doesn't stop other politicians from using it as ammo against you and the still highly religious population from not voting on you.

[img]http://imgkk.com/i/bqub.png[/img] The Prime Minister has signed the new constitution into law. Probably tomorrow he will hand over to technocrat Mehdi Jomaa, who will lead the government until the country's first permanent elections are held later this year. [url]http://www.tunisia-live.net/2014/01/27/tunisias-president-prime-minister-and-assembly-speaker-sign-consitution/[/url] [quote]President Marzouki delivered a short speech celebrating the achievement, but emphasized that more needed to be done in the country’s post-revolutionary transition. “We have the right today to be proud of our people, our nation, and our country,” Marzouki said. “But we have to get back to work.” At the end of his speech, Marzouki shouted “Long live the revolution!” and “Long live freedom!” before flashing a victory sign to the crowd. Speaker Ben Jaafar referenced the country’s ongoing security concerns and praised the work of the Tunisian army. Security forces have been engaged in often deadly confrontations with militants since early 2013.[/quote] Also here's some more about what happened when the constitution was approved: [url]http://www.tunisia-live.net/2014/01/27/after-two-years-of-compromises-assembly-celebrates-new-constitution/[/url] [quote]NCA Speaker Mustapha Ben Jaafar then addressed the chamber, deeming the vote another historic moment for Tunisia after the revolution. He marked the absence of deceased NCA members Mohamed Brahmi, who was assassinated in July, and Allouche, who died of a heart attack on January 23, and thanked a long list, including Tunisian citizens, assembly staff, journalists, and civil society. When Brahmi’s name was mentioned, members chanted “we are loyal to the blood of martyrs,” a slogan of the revolution. No sooner had Ben Jaafar finished speaking and opened the vote than the assembly erupted in cheers. Almost immediately, the voting monitor was green and 200 yeses counted, far exceeding the two-thirds threshold needed for passage. Members broke into singing the national anthem and congratulated each other. Many NCA members brought their families to the assembly building for the evening, who then joined them in celebrations. Jawhara Tiss, 28-year-old Ennahdha representative, held her infant daughter as her colleagues embraced family and friends. The constitution, she said, “institutionalized revolution in Tunisia.” Asked if the new law will improve her daughter’s life, Tiss replied: “Of course, and if it doesn’t, she can change it.”[/quote]