Declaration of November
7th, 1987
In the name of God, the
Clement, the Merciful
We, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Prime
Minister of the Republic of Tunisia, proclaim the following :
Fellow Citizens,
The great sacrifices made by the Leader
Habib Bourguiba, first President of the Republic, together with other men of valor,
for the liberation and development of Tunisia, are countless. And that is why we
granted him our affection and regard and worked under his leadership for many years
confidently, faithfully and in a spirit of self-denial, at all levels, in the ranks
of our popular and national army and in the government.
But the onset of his senility and
the deterioration of his health and the medical report made on this called us to
carry out our national duty and declare him totally incapable of undertaking the
tasks of President of the Republic.
Thereby, acting under article 57 of
the Constitution, with the help of God, we take up the Presidency of the Republic
and the high command of our armed forces.
In the exercise of our responsibilities,
we are counting on all the children of our dear country to work together in an atmosphere
of confidence, security and serenity, from which all hatred and rancor will be banished.
The independence of our country, our
territorial integrity, the invulnerability of our fatherland and our people's progress
are a matter of concern for all citizens. Love of one's country, devotion to its
safety, commitment to its growth are the sacred duties of all Tunisians.
Fellow Citizens,
Our people has reached a degree of
responsibility and maturity where every individual and group is in a position to
constructively contribute to the running of its affairs, in conformity with the republican
idea which gives institutions their full scope and guarantees the conditions for
a responsible democracy, fully respecting the sovereignty of the people as written
into the Constitution. This Constitution needs urgent revision. The times in which
we live can no longer admit of life presidency or automatic succession, from which
the people is excluded. Our people deserves an advanced and institutionalized political
life, truly based on the plurality of parties and mass organizations.
We shall be soon putting forward a
bill that will concern political parties and another concerning the press, which
ensure a wider participation in the building up of Tunisia and the strengthening
of its independence in a context of order and discipline.
We shall see that the law is correctly
enforced in a way that will proscribe any kind of iniquity or injustice. We shall
act to restore the prestige of the State and to put an end to chaos and laxity. There
will be no more favoritism or indifference where the squandering of the country's
wealth is concerned.
We shall continue to keep up our good
relations and positive cooperation with all other countries, particularly friendly
and sister countries. We shall respect our international engagements.
We shall give Islamic, Arab, African
and Mediterranean solidarity its due importance.
We shall strive ourselves to achieve
the unity, based on our common interests, of the Great Maghreb.
Fellow Citizens,
By the Grace of God, we are entering
on a new era of efforts and determination.
Love of our country and the call of
duty require this of us.
Long live Tunisia!
Long live the Republic!
