It wasn’t long after the now-ruling Tunisian political party, Ennahda, had succeeded in the country’s first parliamentary elections after decades of dictatorship, that they set their sights on various other Tunisian organizations.

It wasn’t long after the now-ruling Tunisian political party, Ennahda, had succeeded in the country’s first parliamentary elections after decades of dictatorship, that they set their sights on various other Tunisian organizations.

Ennahda quickly nominated representatives to stand for election within the Tunisian General Labor Union, or Union Générale Tunisienne du Travail also known as the UGTT. Unionization in Tunisia is generally high and the UGTT represents an estimated half a million workers; it is the largest and most influential union in a country with a population of around 10 million.  

Ennahda had hoped to win some seats on the Union’s executive in order to have some influence over UGTT decisions, whether these were related to general strikes or to the path to democratic transition in Tunisia. The UGTT have been involved in negotiations with and between various political parties and had organized strikes in support of the revolution.

However the outcome of elections held at the UGTT general conference in the Tunisian coastal town of Tabarka in December 2011 was a disappointing one for Ennahda.

This pattern of loss has continued. In March 2012, Ennahda candidates didn’t do very well as Tunisian university “scientific councils” were elected. These are managerial boards consisting of student representatives, professors and administrative staff and elections are usually fiercely contested, political conflicts. In the past, the Tunisian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research would have taken charge of any such elections, as well as choosing the heads of universities and engineering schools, on the basis of their political affiliations.

But after the Tunisian revolution this obviously changed. However the Ennahda party failed here too, with their student candidates losing out to more liberal candidates from the leftist student union UGET.

Elections for the National Bar Association of Tunisia were next and Ennahda had high hopes here because, of the five candidates running, their man, Mohammed Najib Ben Youssef, was an esteemed and respected lawyer. He had a good chance of heading the Association, they thought.  

Despite strong campaign support from Ennahda, Ben Youssef failed to win that seat though. It seemed that Tunisia’s lawyers, who had played a strong role during the Tunisian revolution, preferred to put the interests and integrity of their profession before all else.

Tunisia’s lawyers continue to be involved with the country’s path through to democracy, involved with drafting legislation and constitutional law. Despite Ben Youssef’s standing, they feel that allowing the Bar Association to be headed by a member of the ruling Islamist party would damage their credibility and that of an independent justice system.

The Association of Tunisian Judges concurred, with the head of their association, Judge Kalthoum Kennou, stating that judicial independence was of paramount importance.  

Local analyst and writer, Slaheddine Jourchi, believes that the Ennahda party’s failure to gain any influence over the various political syndicates and unions in the country is just another sign of general discontent with their achievements over the past year. It’s a sign, Jourchi told Correspondents, that Ennahda is becoming increasingly isolated. And, he added, that’s the kind of political isolation that caused the fall of the previous Tunisian regime.