A woman leading the capital of an Arab country is already an unprecedented event. So what can we say if it is supported by an Islamic group renowned for its conservatism! However, Souad Abderrahim, elected mayor of Tunis this Tuesday, was actually the candidate supported by the Ennahdha Islamists. And this Tuesday, the 53-year-old pharmacist with a modern look, which contrasts with the conservatism of her party, was elected after two months of negotiations. Ennahdha won 21 out of 60 seats in last May’s universal suffrage municipal elections, the first of its kind since the fall of autocrat Ben Ali.
Souad Abderrahim, who has associated with Islamists for years, has many years of activism under her belt. During her student years, she fought within the Islamist-friendly General Union of Tunisian Students (UGTE) against the left-wing rivals of the General Union of Tunisian Students (UGET), who opposed them despite their acronyms almost identical. “She already had a strong temperament and the character of a leader,” recalls political scientist at the Arab Center for Political and Social Analysis and Research in Geneva Riadh Sidaoui, who worked with her during her university years.
The UGTE, accused of being the arm of the Islamists of Ennahdha within the universities, was definitively dissolved in 1991 by President Ben Ali. Without hiding her sympathies for Islamists, Souad Abderrahim, who claims her modern and liberal side, abandons the veil after a few years.
A return after the fall of Ben Ali
And during the potentate’s long reign, until the popular revolution of 2011, the activist kept a low profile and dedicated himself to his new business of selling pharmaceutical products. Politics reached her after the fall of Ben Ali: she immediately entered Parliament under the Ennahda label. “She is one of the Islamists latentthey retreat during the storm and return in force as soon as the opportunity is favorable”, underlines Riadh Sidaoui.
His 2011 comments about freedoms needing to be “framed by customs, traditions and respect for good morals” shocked human rights defenders. Thus, in an attempt to regain the image of a modern woman, Souad Abderrahim apologized and has since called for “liberal and reformist ideas”, with an electoral program focused on closeness to citizens. The new deputy also seeks and obtains the presidency of the commission for human rights and freedoms.
Today the eyes of the country and the entire world are focused on Tunis, whose mayor was democratically elected for the first time and not appointed by local notables. On this crucial issue, “presenting a female candidate was a political coup for Ennahdha: it was a good deal for its image inside but also outside the country”, analyzes Hasni Abidi, director of the Center for Studies and Research on Arab and Mediterranean world. “Ennhadha’s strategy is to present liberal showcases to demonstrate that they are not radical,” explains Riadh Sidaoui.
The candidate is divided among her allies
To win, Souad Abderrahim had to deal with the reluctance of the liberal Nidaa Tounès party, Ennahdha’s governing ally and with 17 seats in the Tunis city council. Some of its leaders believe it is just a front for Islamists. “But it would not have been good for the party’s image to oppose a woman, especially considering her modern profile,” believes Hasni Abidi. In the end, the newly elected candidate obtained 26 votes against 22 for Kamel Idir, Nida Tounès’ candidate.
Despite the pitfalls, the activist who takes care of her modern and Western clothing has never held back to obtain this highly coveted position, an international showcase. But some of his opponents also see these elections as a political springboard for the next legislative elections in 2019. Riadh Sidaoui specifies: “They fear Islamization from below as in Turkey, with Erdogan who was mayor of Istanbul before becoming president ”.
In the negotiations that have dragged on since the May elections, one thing has not changed, to the benefit of Souad Abderrahim: the 21 elected representatives of Ennadha, disciplined, have united behind her. Even if the base of the party, more radical, “feels a certain discomfort”, according to Riadh Sidaoui. But the political scientist adds: “Keeping the municipality of Tunis, one of the most prestigious and symbolic Moroccans, could satisfy her. »
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