Tunisia’s President Beji Caid Essebsi, the first freely elected president died at the ripe age of 92. Essebsi has earned the ubiquitous name of world’s oldest sitting president. Winning Tunisia’s first free elections in 2014 was not a daunting task for the octogenarian at that time. As the freely elected president, he had overseen political reforms in the north African country after the autocratic rule of Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali. It is a glowing tribute to the deceased president, that the public chanted that they lost “a father to all Tunisians”, while cavalcade carrying his mortal remains was inching toward the presidential palace from the hospital.
Tunisia achieved democratic state through a quiet and bloodless transition orchestrated by the late president. With a new Constitution, free elections and a coalition government of moderate Islamist and secular parties. Tunisia stands out in Africa, where human freedom and rights are respected. Parliament speaker Mohamed Ennaceur was sworn in as interim president in line with the Constitution, which is a rare development in the continent, used to bloody street fights, election rigging, and dynastic rule.The electoral commission announced a presidential election for Sept. 15, two months ahead of schedule and the parliamentary vote is set for October 6, which is incidentally the third set of polls in which Tunisians have been able to vote freely since the revolution.
Drafted in as premier after Ben Ali’s fall, Essebsi in 2012 founded the secular Nidaa Tounes party, now a part of the ruling coalition. He dealt strongly with the resurgence of Islamists. Instead of suppressing them, he opened a window to hold parleys with them. Two years down the line, Essebsi became Tunisia’s first freely elected head of state. However, the late president did not have anything to showcase as economic gains. Unemployment stands at about a meaty 15%, up from 12% in 2010, due to weak growth and low investment. Yet, that negative point no way can rob of his contributions as a political reformer, who had chosen the middle path to get going in an otherwise difficult situation.
