US embassy cable - 05TUNIS1455

C O N F I D E N T I A L TUNIS 001455 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR NEA/MAG, NEA/FO, NEA/PI, DRL 
PARIS FOR ZEYA 
LONDON FOR GOLDRICH 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/04/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, KMPI, TS 
SUBJECT: ELECTION FOR NEW CHAMBER OF ADVISORS: NO SURPRISES 
 
 
Classified By: Amb. William Hudson for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d) 
 
1. (U) Summary: RCD loyalists won all contested seats in 
predictable elections on July 3 for the Chamber of Advisors, 
a second Parliamentary chamber created by a 2002 
constitutional amendment.  While GOT spokesmen congratulated 
the country on a substantive step towards democracy, most 
Tunisians were disinterested in an election that is seen as 
having little impact on political decision-making.   End 
Summary. 
 
2. (U) Elections for the Chamber of Advisors, a second 
parliamentary chamber created by a 2002 constitutional 
amendment, were held on July 3.  4555 voters participated in 
the elections (4366 municipal counselors, deputies, and 
mayors plus the 189 members of the Chamber of Deputies, the 
first house of Parliament).  Of the 4555 voters, only 305 
belong to opposition parties (268 municipal counselors and 37 
members of the Chamber of Deputies).  The composition of the 
Chamber of Advisors as specified in the constitutional 
amendment is 126 members, divided into three groups.  43 
members represent the 24 governorates of Tunisia, 41 members 
are directly appointed by the President, and 42 are elected 
from professional organizations, including 14 from the 
Tunisian Union of Industry, Commerce, and Artisans (UTICA), 
14 from the National Farmer and Fishermen's Union (UNAP), and 
14 members representing the General Union of Tunisian Workers 
(UGTT).  However, the UGTT refused to table candidates for 
the election, making the total number of contested seats 112. 
 
3. (U)  At a May 23 meeting of its administrative committee, 
the UGTT decided not to take part in the Chamber of Advisor 
elections citing the inability of the members of the 
organization to freely choose representatives for the 
election ballot.  However, on June 16, the GOT announced that 
the non-participation of the UGTT would not prevent the 
elections from taking place.  It is unclear whether the 14 
vacant seats dedicated to the UGTT will be divided between 
UTICA and UNAP, or if the GOT will further press or make 
concessions to UGTT in order to secure its participation. 
 
4. (U)  Unsurprisingly, RCD loyalists won all 43 seats 
representing the governorates, as well as the 28 contested 
seats from UTICA and UTAP, both of which are closely allied 
with the GOT.  None of the six opposition parties presented 
candidates, reportedly due to the overwhelming majority of 
RCD members on the electoral board.  Notable among those 
elected from UTICA was Joseph Roger Bismuth, president of the 
Jewish Community in Tunisia.  No date has been set for the 
first sitting of the Chamber of Advisors, nor has the GOT 
announced when the 43 presidential appointments for the 
Chamber will be made. 
 
5. (C) Comment: Despite the rhetoric repeated in 
GOT-influenced and owned papers after the election citing 
advancements in pluralistic democracy and legislative power, 
the Chamber of Advisors will likely play a minimal role in 
the political process.  While in theory the creation of a 
second chamber representing all regions and a diverse section 
of civil society organizations would signify democratic 
advancement, there is a valid concern that the chamber will 
serve, like the Chamber of Deputies, as largely a 
rubber-stamp body for the executive branch. The 2002 
constitutional amendment which created the Chamber of 
Advisors was drafted principally to extend Ben Ali's mandate; 
to detract from this, the RCD padded the amendment with 
supposed deomcratic advances such as the second chamber. End 
Comment. 
HUDSON