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New Opposition Party Emerges In Tunisia
TUNIS, July 27 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - The emergence of a new Tunisian opposition party, the Republic's Conference, was announced Wednesday, news agencies reported.
Former president of the Tunisian Human Rights Association and National Freedoms Council, Monsif Al-Marzouqi, heads the new party which so far comprises 31 members from the intellectual, activist and university professor professions both inside and outside Tunis.
In a statement published July 25th in the daily al-Quds newspaper, the new party announced that the aim of its formation was to confront the current political, economic and social crises in Tunisia.
The party founders declared they will struggle to bring about the complete practice of freedom of expression and opinion, by placing the national radio and television under the supervision of a multi-lateral body which will reflect the various social stratifications in Tunisia.
They further pledged to exert all efforts to secure just and free elections, subject to effective national and international monitoring.
The Republic's Conference founders stressed that the office of president of Tunisia should come by alternation, and should not be open to the same person more than twice. They further said the president of the republic should not be president of a political party, and should be subject to Tunisian law like every other citizen.
The budding party also denounced torture and all other forms of humiliating coercion and punishment.
In addition, jails, police stations, hospitals, infirmaries and mental asylums, should be subject to periodical examination, party leaders said. They also called for the reforming the judiciary and abolishing the political police.
The Republic's Conference also called for a new constitution separating the legislative, judicial and executive authorities in a way that guarantees freedom for all, total equality - particularly between men and women - and a new constitutional court that watches the implementation of constitutional principles and basic rights.
On the economic level, the new party called for the building of an economy that serves "the majority", encourages national and foreign investment, and fights corruption via an autonomous body that has the authority to carry out investigations and refer cases to the judiciary.
In its statement, the new party said it is "not opposition for oppositions' sake, but a party that aims to win the people's confidence in order to apply its program."
The party members called on all Tunisians to regain their self-confidence and their belief in the future of the country, and to support their republican and democratic project.
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