Tunisians are this week enjoying a double celebration of freedom.

March 20 marks the 56th anniversary of Tunisia’s independence from French colonial rule, but the country is also marking its more recent triumph of democracy, a little more than a year after its revolution.

The North African country became the cradle of the Arab Spring after weeks of popular protest led to the departure of long-reigning Tunisian leader Zine al Abidine Ben Ali last January.

His toppling foreshadowed the downfall of other dictators across the Middle East.

Tunisia’s democratically elected new leaders now aim to pen a new constitution within a year.

And Tunisia’s ambassador to Korea, Ammar Amari, called last year’s popular movement “a revolution of freedom and dignity for Tunisia.”

“It was a spontaneous revolution,” he said. “It was not an organized one. No political party was behind it, no institution whatsoever was behind it. I think it was really a revolution which came from the youth against oppression, against tyranny and against the lack of freedom of expression.

“We are very proud to say that Tunisia has successfully had this revolution which was the first one in the region and later on spread to what we call now the Arab Spring.”

The suicide of Tunisian fruit vendor Mohamed Bouazizi sparked the uprising when he set himself on fire in protest over police confiscation of his stall on Dec. 17, 2010.

The following weeks of popular protest over unemployment, corruption and high food prices caused Ben Ali to disband the government and quit the country on Jan. 14, ending his more than 20-year rule.

A temporary government was formed by the end of that month and the first elections of the Arab Spring states saw a 217-member Constituent Assembly elected on Oct. 23.

The once-banned Islamist Ennahda Party was voted into power in a coalition with liberalist parties The Congress for the Republic and Ettakatol. 

“These are the first free elections that the country has had in history,” Amari said. “We consider this in itself as a great achievement. All observers of these elections were unanimous that these were democratic and free elections.”

The country has progressed remarkably smoothly toward democracy in comparison to other Arab Spring nations. The Tunisian ambassador attributed the progression from revolt to democracy to the pride and maturity of the Tunisian people.

“We have a highly educated youth population,” he said. “This young generation only witnessed during their whole lives an oppressive regime and dictatorship. They were mature enough to realize what were the real gains that they had after the revolution.

“I think this is why all Tunisians are really eager to make our revolution a successful one. Since it was the first one which took place at the origin they were eager to make it a success story and to give an example to others.”

But the new government is now grappling with the very problems that first sparked the revolution ― tackling corruption and addressing high unemployment.

“It is not easy after what has been left,” Amari admitted. “We lived under many years of dictatorship and corruption. The corruption was all around and it will take the government really a great effort to tackle the problems of unemployment of those who were mainly highly educated youth.”

He said the coalition’s priority was also to give more attention to neglected parts of the country, where there is a lack of infrastructure and amenities such as hospitals.

“This will take time of course. Not only will it take time, it will need a lot of financial resources.”

Amari also addressed concerns voiced in some international media that the Ennahda Party would introduce more extreme Islamic governance. Tunisia has a longstanding tradition of anti-extremism and women’s rights among Islamic nations.

“Tunisia can only be a moderate democracy,” he said. “It used to be that way and it will always be that way.

“We suffered for decades about dictatorship, lack of freedom and lack of democracy. This coalition government is the outcome of free democratic and transparent elections for the first time … That was the will of the Tunisian people that was respected and will be respected.”

By Kirsty  Taylor (kirstyt@heraldcorp.com)