تونس « TŪNIS »
— Officially: الجمهورية التونسية « ɔal-Ĝumhūrīaḧ ɔal-Tūnisīaḧ ».
— English: Tunisia.
— Seat of government: تونس « Tūnis ».
— Status: Democratic.
— Structure: Governed by an elected assembly (مجلس نواب الشعب « Maĝlis Naŭ:āb ɔal-Šacb »), which chooses the prime minister (رئيس حكومة « Raỉīs Hukūmaḧ »). The president is elected directly.
— Governing parties: حركة نداء تونس « Harakaḧ Nidāɔ Tūnis »; حركة النهضة « Harakaḧ ɔal-Nahdaḧ »; الاتحاد الوطني الحرّ « ɔal-Ɔit:ihād ɔal-Ŭatanī ɔal-Hur: »; آفاق تونس « Ɔāfāq Tūnis ».
— Heads of government: يوسف الشاهد « Jūsif ɔal-Šāhid », نداء تونس « Nidāɔ Tūnis », prime minister (since 2016); الباجي قائد السبسي « ɔal-Bāĝī Qāỉd ɔal-Sabsī », نداء تونس « Nidāɔ Tūnis », president (since 2014); راشد الغنوشي « Rāšid ɔal-Ğanūšī », leader of النهضة « ɔal-Nahdaḧ ».
— Assessment: The previous tyranny was largely overlooked elsewhere until 2011. Dictator زين العبدين بن على « Zīn ɔal-Cābidīn bin Calī » (1987-2011) began in office as a reformer, but eventually extended his rule indefinitely through numerous fraudulent reelections. He was forced out by street protests in early 2011, fleeing the country and leaving other members of his régime in charge; this success inspired broad regional protests, الربيع العربي « ɔal-Rabīc ɔal-Carabī », that are ongoing. An election for a new assembly was held, with the conservative حركة النهضة « Harakaḧ ɔal-Nahdaḧ » placing first; the assembly elected حمادي الجبالي « Hamādī ɔal-Ĝabālī » (2011-3) prime minister and المنصف المرزوقي « ɔal-Munsaf ɔal-Marzūqī » (2011-4) president. After the 2013 killing of secular politician شكري بلعيد « Šukrī Balacīd », الجبالي « ɔal-Ĝabālī » resigned, urging a technocratic government, but النهضة « ɔan-Nahdaḧ » chose to nominate another partisan prime minister, علي العريّض « Calī ɔal-Caraj:id » (2013-4). A second opposition politician, محمد براهمي « Muham:ad Brāhmī », was killed later in 2013; eventually a technocratic government was formed under مهدي جمعة « Mahdī Ĝumacaḧ » (2014-5). In 2014, a new parliamentary election was held, in which نداء تونس « Nidāɔ Tūnis » won a plurality; the first direct presidential election was held at the end of 2014, which the party won as well. An inclusive government was formed in 2015, with الحبيب الصيد « ɔal-Habīb ɔal-Sīd » (2015-6) as prime minister.
— FH: 3-3, partly free (democratic). Econ: 5.67 (90), hybrid.
— Updated: 2016 August 20.
O.T. FORD