Mustapha Filali stands on the red carpet of the National Constituent Assembly’s ceremonial hall. He is not tall but stands with an air of sovereignty. Although there are many people in the hall attending the ceremony, which is has been organized to celebrate the finalization of the Constitution, it is still easy to see Filali’s grey head of hair moving about the room. People are eager to greet him and his face becomes alive as he tells the long story of his country’s history.

Mustapha Filali stands on the red carpet of the National Constituent Assembly’s ceremonial hall. He is not tall but stands with an air of sovereignty. Although there are many people in the hall attending the ceremony, which is has been organized to celebrate the finalization of the Constitution, it is still easy to see Filali’s grey head of hair moving about the room. People are eager to greet him and his face becomes alive as he tells the long story of his country’s history.

Filali is a veteran Tunisian politician. He was born in the early 1920’s and he was elected as a member of the first constituent assembly, formed after independence in 1956. That parliament was tasked with drafting the first Tunisian Constitution and today, Filali is able to witness of the birth of the second Tunisian Constitution.

Although he is a wise man of 93, he insists, “The young people are the blessed ones.”

Songs of experience

When he participated in the drafting of the first Constitution he was still young. Together with men in his age, he contributed to laying the cornerstone of the First Republic as a politician, a trade union activist and a member of the National Council. Today, after more than half a century, he is again present among the founders of the Second Republic and the authors of the revolution’s Constitution as a leader, a national symbol and a witness to this historic moment.

In a hoarse voice he said contemplatively: “Tunisia has emerged victorious and its sons, whether in power or in the opposition, have won the battle.  Today, I can confidently tell you that Tunisia is firmly walking along the right path.”

Fiali knows better than anyone how long the path toward writing a Constitution can be.

“The first Constitution was born under certain circumstances. At that time, our country was saying goodbye to the French colonialism and we did not have our own institutions and our own national army. We did not have our sovereignty and the executive power was stronger than other authorities in the Constitution, he remembered.

“Today, we have a country that has all the elements of sovereignty and it is getting ready to complete all the conditions and causes of democracy.

The new Constitution gave lots of power to the judiciary. I hope this will make a balance with other authorities. This Constitution simply reflects the reality of the Tunisian society today.”

Early life

Filali was born on 5 July, 1921 and he studied at the Sorbonne University in France. When he returned to Tunisia, he worked as a literature and philosophy teacher in secondary schools. He was famous for his trade union activism and he was active with the General Union of Tunisian Workers, the largest trade union organization in Tunisia.

He was a prominent leader and his activism has qualified him to be among the ministers who were appointed by the late President Habib Bourguiba from among the three trade unionists who represented the workers’ organization when it participated in the government on 15 April 1956.

Mustapha Filali had close spiritual relations with Bourguiba. He was among the leaders of the Constitutional Party, the ruling party. During the period from 1971 and until 1972, he was the director of the Socialist Constitutional Party. In describing him, Filali said that “Habib Bourguiba did not come to the Carthage Palace to enjoy the sea but to build a modern society.” Defending him he said “For Bourguiba religion is a modernization and civilization element.” 

Mustapha became the minister of Agriculture when he was not yet 35 years old. Through his position, he was able to return the ownership of land to the Tunisians and took the decision to abolish the al-Ahbas (Religious Endowments System).  From 1957 until 1958 he became the Minister of Information. 

Entry to the parliament

He was elected as a member of the National Constituent Assembly in 1956 and became a member of the National Assembly (the parliament) in 1959 and 1964. When he left all government positions, Filali became the director of the International Labour Organization Office of the Arab Maghreb in Algeria and he is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the Center for Arab Unity Studies in Beirut.

Exclusion under Ben Ali

Filali had been excluded from the political scene for more than two decades during the reign of former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. However, he remained an active thinker and writer and he authored a number of books such as ‘Islam and the New International Economic Order’ and the ‘Great Arab Maghreb: a call for the Future.’

After the 14 January, 2011 revolution Filali became active as a symbol of national struggle and for many Tunisians he was considered the voice of reason and wisdom. Many Tunisians believe that he is unbiased and honest compared to other politicians of his generation because he had chosen to distance himself from the political pressure and polarization and did not align himself with one party.  

He did not accept to head the current government when his name was among the most prominent candidates supposed to bring the country out of the dark tunnel. He said he was wary of the size of the responsibility, the very sensitive situation in the country and his old age.

“I do not want to be in that position. Even when I said that I need time to think about this offer, I only did so out of the principle of freedom of conscience.”

Respect amongst colleagues

“I can only express my sincere respect for Mustapha Filali. He is a statesman par excellence and a symbol of the national struggle,” said Taieb Baccouche Secretary-General of the Nidaa Tounes Movement.

“He did not want to occupy any high ranking position after the revolution but he always offered a helping hand whenever necessary to defend the revolution’s gains, such as the values of the republic and modernity.”

The wise advisor

All political parties sought Fiali’s advice throughout the second constituent phase and he often played the role of the mediator between the different parties. Among his most important contributions is a letter he wrote to Rached Ghannouchi, the head of the Ennahda Movement, to encourage unity amongst parties.

Filali was known for his eloquent advice on issues related to terrorism, assassinations as well as other political issues. One of his most prominent stances was his view about the role of the judiciary. In one of the daily Tunisian newspapers, Filali wrote: “No country can exist without justice based on chastity, competence and piety, and no security, stability or welfare can flourish without justice. Can a regime continue to exist if there are corrupt and unjust people and where injustice, the cause of all destruction, persists?”