The former ambassador of the United States of America, Gordon Gray considered that the month of December had gone from bad to worse for the President of the Republic, Kaïs Saïed. He spoke of a series of failures, including his first visit to Washington as part of his participation in the “US-Africa Leaders Summit” from December 13 to 15, 2022, and the report dated December 14, 2022, by the board of administration of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of the study of the Tunisian file.
In an article published on December 26, 2022, in the newspaper “The National Interest” and titled “Where are US-Tunisian relations heading after Saied ‘s disastrous December?” (Whither U.S.-Tunisian Relations After Saied’s Disastrous December?), the former ambassador referred to Blinken ‘s short introduction combined with a series of remarks to a president who he felt was talking too much and in a boring way.
Further describing Kaïs Saïed ‘s speech, he called it “weak attempts at humor and defensive comments. (nobody claimed that Said was a gifted orator)”. The failure of this visit also concerns the meeting between the Head of State and the journalists and the editorial board of the Washington Post. The former ambassador considered it a public relations disaster. He recalled that the Washington Post had always supported democracy in Tunisia. Unfortunately, following this interview, the newspaper considered that Kaïs Saïed had contented himself with using tactics and obsolete arguments that autocracies continually resorted to. Kaïs Saïed had denounced, during this meeting, unidentified foreign forces trying to arouse opposition to his regime.
Kaïs Saïed ‘s return to Tunisia was accompanied, according to Gordon Gray, by even more painful events. The former ambassador mentioned the low turnout in the legislative elections of December 17, 2022. He explained this phenomenon by the boycott of the opposition and the indifference of voters. He explained that the record for the lowest participation in the world was now linked to these legislative elections. On the very day of the legislative elections, the Independent High Authority for Elections announced that only 8.8% of voters had exercised their right to vote. This figure subsequently rose to 11.2%, but still remains the world record for the lowest voter turnout. Gordon Gray said the change in turnout had raised some suspicion because of attacks on the independence of the electoral body. The former ambassador concluded that neither figure reflected confidence in Kais Saïed or his legitimacy.
Gordon Gray underlined the strength of Tunisian-American relations. He recalled that Thomas Jefferson had organized a breaking of the fast at the White House in December 1805 on the occasion of a Tunisian visit during the month of Ramadan. He evoked the bonds of friendship between the late Habib Bourguiba, leader of the Tunisian independence movement, and the former US consul in Tunisia during the Second World War. He recalled that the consul was the only American to have a street in his name in Tunisia. Gordon Gray referred to statements and releases from the State Department pointing to a deterioration in democratic standards and attacks on the independence of state institutions. He wondered about the attitude adopted by the Biden administration in the face of a return to autocracy. He spoke of possible pressure through the introduction of conditions as part of the agreement that the Tunisian government is seeking to conclude with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He called on the Biden administration to invite representatives of Tunisian civil society and not members of the government to participate in the Democracy Summit which will take place on March 29 and 30, 2023.
Gordon Gray asserted that the State Department’s statement the day after the election was not a form of support for the Kaïs Saïed system. He recalled that the declaration called for more transparent and inclusive reforms, including the granting of more prerogatives to parliament, the establishment of the constitutional court, and the preservation of human rights and fundamental freedoms for all Tunisians. He considered that the application of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) agreement was only possible following a return to democracy. This agreement concerns an amount equal to 498 million dollars. It aims to facilitate trade with Tunisia and reduce its costs. The agreement includes investments aimed at the management, expansion, and digitization of the port of Radès.
