“Algeria will deliver corrupted families to Tunisia,” says Secretary-General of Arab Democracy Foundation

Secretary-General of the Arab Democracy Foundation Mohsen Marzouk believes that Tunisian toppled president Ban Ali can not come back to his country only to be trialled or to live there if he is acquitted. “A national democratic commitment must be set up based on democratic action principles,” he told Echorouk in an interview.

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  Was the collapse of the Ben Ali regime the people’s revolution or a white coup?

  It is the people’s revolution. It was clear since the beginning until the end that it was a popular uprising. It started as a protest movement against social conditions and then developed. What happened was the expression of the popular will.

  But this happened 23 years after Ben Ali had taken over power. Why did that happen on that time exactly?

  There is no rule in revolutions. There were accumulated and several reasons. There is an accumulation of wrongdoings in power such as corruption and the absence of freedoms. Power did not conduct any political reforms. It is natural that an explosion happens. We have already warned of that but we did not foresee when it would happen.
  

  The regime went away and the mass is everywhere. Aren’t you concerned about that?

  I do not think that there is a big mass. There is a transitional government which has a clear program for a transitional period. There is opposition but it is natural. We have entered democratic life and this government can not be accepted by everyone. The unanimity issue is over. There are persons who want to take more commitments than the other team. This government has the opportunity to show that it is capable of caring for people’s life.

  Ben Ali went away and many of his associates are still in the government.

  It is natural because we are in the stage of moving to democracy. This phase turns the repressive situation into a democratic system. Negotiations, settlements and agreements take place between a part of power and the powers which had legitimacy to participate in power. It is necessary to keep a part of former officials. The Ben Ali regime was repressive based on the symbol which is Ben Ali. Its collapse is a strong blow to this regime.

  So, you are for the participation of all banned parties including Al-Nahda and non-banned including the former ruling party.
  

  Yes, I am for the participation of all the Tunisian people.

  Aren’t you afraid that a similar experience like that of the 1988’s Algerian one happens in Tunisia?
  

  People who were behind the collapse of the Ben Ali regime did not represent any political movement and they did not represent neither Al-Nahda party nor any other one. Those who took to the street on Friday were not Islamists. There is a need now to set up a national democratic commitment based on democratic action principles.

  Algeria did not have a clear position towards what happened contrarily to Libya. What is your comment?

  Bouteflika sent a telegram to Fouad Mebazaa, saying he encourages the Tunisian genius. I did not expect that the Algerian government would support the Tunisian people because it is not a habit of the Arab official systems. As for Libyan leader Gaddafi, it was clear since the beginning that he rejected this revolution. I believe that it is not necessary to do that because it is has something to do with Tunisians themselves. I do not allow Tunisians to intervene in the Libyan people’s interests as well.

  There are members of families you call in Tunisia ‘corruption families.’ They entered Algeria. How do you see that?
  

  Justice will work on recovering Tunisian people’s stolen money. The government will deal with justice and our neighbour must deal with in the way it wants me to deal with it. Thus, Tunisian justice will ask Algeria to deliver corrupted people.
  

  Honestly, is the Ben Ali regime over?

  Ben Ali as a political symbol is over. He may come back to Tunisia to be trialled or to live there if he is acquitted.
  

  Do you support a civilian or a military president?
  

  I am for a civilian president. Militaries should never intervene in the political life. What scares me is the Tunisian army’s silent intervention. It should not intervene and must be part of the democratic commitment.