On Sunday, Tunisia will go to the pollsto elect its second legislative body since the Revolution and its first inder the new constitution.That alone deserves attention. Though technically, Libya has already held two Parliamentary elections since Arab Spring, the second resulted in two governments, one of which is on a ship in Tobruk. This election ,ay be imperfect, but it offers hope,
The Al-Nahda (Ennahda) Islamist party held a plurality in the previous government but yielded power for new elections. As was not the case in 2011, the secularist sides that have dominated much of Tunisia's post-independence history are better organized to compete with Ennahda, which has lost some support to more radical groups (and Tunisia is reportedly the largest dource of foreign fighters to ISIS). But the country is not as polarized as Egypt.
The downside (or perhaps hidden strength) for the secularists re the growing perception that many of the candidtates are retreads from the ancien regime, survivors of the dominant RCD Party of the Ben Ali era and other establishment elements.
Another issue widely noted is that although the new constitution sharply curtailed the powers of the president and strengthened those of the parliament and Prime Minister, many Tunisians, long acquainted with an all-powerful Presidency, are paying more attention to the November vote for President than for this month's Parliamentary vote.
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