Article PWB
Imprisoned several times under the dictatorship of Ben Ali for his opposition, Hamma Hammami, spokesperson of the Communist Party of Tunisian Workers (PCOT), is today one of the most prominent figures the Tunisian revolution. We met in Tunis.
Baudouin Deckers
revolutions and major events in the Arab world are a breath of optimism in the world. It means for you, this movement that started in your country?
Hamma Hammami. It is a great revolution, whether in Arab countries or other countries our region. Other people can learn some lessons from this revolution.
First, the Tunisian people made the revolution, building on its strengths. In many Arab countries, people claimed that they could not make a revolution against dictatorships like that of Ben Ali without the support of France, U.S. or other foreign forces. Our people have shown that relying on its own strength, you may file a dictator like Ben Ali, a very huge security apparatus.
Then the Tunisian people made the revolution in an almost total unity. For over a month, we have not heard a single word religious, which could divide the Tunisian people. The Tunisian people have united around its democratic, economic and social.
For you, this revolution is not over. Why?
Hamma Hammami. The revolution is still ongoing. It has not really achieved its goals and democratic society. She defeated a dictator, but it has not defeated the dictatorship. The political police, the main pillar of the dictatorship, is still there and still very active indeed. The parliament is still there. It a puppet parliament because he needed the agreement of Ben Ali to be able to sit. The acting president is a member of Ben Ali's party, very close to him. The government is still led by Prime Minister Ben Ali, Mohammed Ghannouchi and his ministers are from the same family. The officials are corrupt, still hold their positions. The Constitution has made possible the dictatorship, it is still unchanged. The dictatorship has passed innumerable laws anti-democratic and anti-social to protect themselves and they are all still in force. In the hands of government, all these laws and institutions can again be used against the people. The scheme Ben Ali is still in place yet.
That is why the popular movement continues, despite the promises of the government. It requires the dissolution of the current government. He refused government "revised" as the one we have now. The former ruling party, the RCD (Democratic Constitutional Rally, which was until 18 January a member of the Socialist International, Ed), must be truly dissolved.
No, we can not say that the revolution is complete. She has not defeated the reactionary forces. They are still there, but weakened. We must continue this revolution with great determination, but also with great tactical sense to preserve the unity of the Tunisian people and do not fall into the divisions that could impact very negatively on the progress of this revolution, the peoples of the Arab world look with much hope.
Some present revolution in Tunisia as a spontaneous event ...
Hamma Hammami. Wrong. They say to discredit and deny, in recent years, the role of revolutionary and progressive forces in opposition. It's also a way to say it must seek a way out of this revolution with the former ruling party, that mainstream politicians are forced to take over the leadership of a movement that does not. This movement was spontaneous to the extent that it was not organized at national level. He had not a single leadership, a common program. But that does not mean lack of awareness and lack of organization.
consciousness exists, because the actors of this movement are primarily leftists, liberals, trade unionists, human rights activists. They are young unemployed graduates who belong to the student movement. Our party is here, our forces are present. The Islamists, by cons, have not really participated. That is why, in this revolution, there is no word of a religious order. While politically, the Islamists have supported the movement.
At the organizational level, the activists quickly organized into committees. On the first day of this revolution, there were some villages in a vacuum of real power. Together with the Democrats, then we have called for people to organize. What they have done in the villages and regions, sometimes in meetings, which are called " popular assemblies "or" assembled to safeguard the revolution ", sometimes in committees or leagues, it depends. Here in Tunis, people have organized themselves into people's committees or neighborhood committees. They chose their leaders from among the militants most active during the revolution. The structure is still weak and underdeveloped. There is still no real national centralization. But gradually, these committees were transformed into committees to discuss the situation and the future, and what people can do.
The Front was formed on January 14 a few weeks ago. Who do we find? What is his program or that he claims?
Hamma Hammami. At the political level, the left has managed to gather in a front called the "Front of the January 14" in reference to the day of the flight of Ben Ali. The left has an undeniable weight in our country. Whether in political or trade union at the youth or the women's movement at the level of human rights or cultural movement. This front has gathered around slogans and popular demands. There is therefore the claim for dissolution of government, the dissolution of the ruling party. The Front also claims the formation of a provisional government formed by elements that have nothing to do with the regime of Ben Ali's party dictatorship. This interim government would have the essential task of preparing elections for a Constituent Assembly. It is this which will draft the constitution, the institutions, the fundamental laws of the Democratic People's Republic aspired to the Tunisian people.
We are also united around a platform of economic and social, because we believe that the dictatorship was linked to economic and social base, a comprador bourgeoisie (middle class drawing its fortune to its links with foreign multinationals, Editor's note) who plunders Tunisia in collaboration with companies and French, Italian, English, Portuguese, Belgian. We not only political democracy but also a social democracy, because we believe that the current revolution is a national democratic revolution, a popular revolution that fundamental changes must prepare for any Tunisian society in the future.
Front January 14 held Saturday, February 12 its first major public meeting at the Palais des Congrès Tunis. With great success, which far exceeded our expectations. Mobilization has been barely three to four days. More than 8000 people gathered, many were unable to enter. Unheard of.
On 11 February, a committee was formed much larger.
Hamma Hammami. Yes, a meeting at the National Bar Council brought together representatives of 28 organizations. Almost all the opposition to Ben Ali, but two parties entered the government Ghannouchi. Apart from the 10 organizations of the Front of January 14, he is the sole trade union confederation UGTT Ennadha Islamist party, the Association of Lawyers, Writers, Journalists, the Union of Tunisian Students and others. All agree on proposals for the establishment of a "National Council for the Protection of the Revolution." The platform does not go as far as the Front of January 14, since it does not require the dissolution of this government. Some forces like UGTT agreed that government. But the 28 signatories demanding that the "National Council" has power to take decisions on all laws and measures in preparation for new elections to ensure they are truly democratic and will take place in total freedom. They claim the right to monitor all government decisions and the duty submit for approval to the National Council of all appointments to high office. The signatories call people from all regions and localities to form Committees for the Protection of the Revolution and the UGTT puts all its facilities available to them. These committees will be represented in the National Council.
You gather there different classes and strata of the population who were and are opposed to dictatorship. This corresponds to the character of this revolution, you call national and democratic, why?
Hamma Hammami. Since Hannibal (general of Carthage, ancestor Tunisia, in Antiquity, ed), this country has never known democracy. Neither farmers or small traders or artisans or small farmers or professors or instructors. All these people aspire to democracy, above all, together with the workers. We must be conscious.
We try to unite people around a single task: to end the dictatorship. We try to avoid any divergence from the popular forces, which could be exploited by the reaction. We agreed with Islamists and with other forces to preserve the unity of the Tunisian people and not fall in partisan struggles.
But this revolution is also nationally. People realize that the elite is corrupt bourgeois comprador nature, plundering our country for the benefit of foreign companies. They seek to produce cheaply to export these products to their markets, not to satisfy the needs of the Tunisian society. The interference of European powers and the U.S. comes from others what they want at all costs protect their multinationals. We need a plan of industrialization based on the needs of our people. That's what people want. Front of 14 January claims the construction of a national economy for the people where the vital and strategic areas are under state supervision. You are
spokesman of a communist party. What a socialist perspective in Tunisia?
Hamma Hammami. A socialist revolution is not on the agenda today. Yes, as Marxists we believe that ultimately it will move to socialism. It will be necessary to avoid being caught in the web of global capitalism which is held by large U.S. multinational companies and others. This is also the only way to end exploitation of man by man. But this way of thinking is not shared widely at all here. We can not walk too fast.
must take account of political power relations. The working class is behind the plane of consciousness and organization. The communist movement is still quite low in our country, although much progress. The other classes are quite present through the liberal camp, the Islamist camp ... So do not make mistakes.
Through this revolution, the first steps of socialism can nevertheless be established at the economic level. Thus, we are for the nationalization of large enterprises for the benefit of workers. As stated above, this is required already have a point of view of recovery of our independence. We're not going to nationalize it benefits a state bourgeoisie (a class which would be enriched to head the new State, editor's note). The working class must be able to run these enterprises in a democratic manner.
But this does not apply to all sectors of the economy. We frighten small traders, artisans, small businessmen of the many workshops that our country possesses, we go up against the revolution.
And mostly, we think of the peasants. The peasants here are very diverse. It is not organized and she accuses usually a very long delay at the level of consciousness. Some regions are more advanced, where there are farm workers, who have sometimes become poor farmers. They have received plots of land, but does not work for lack of means. These people see themselves collectivization as a positive outcome. But there are also regions where farmers have been demanding for decades the land of big capitalists have them confiscated, but they work nonetheless. Speaking of collectivization, that their recall any on the plunder of their land during the 60s. We believe we can move gradually diversified to socialism, while maintaining the largest unit of the people and to the extent that his experience leads him to see the usefulness and necessity. There is no blueprint. But there is one goal, socialism.
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