Tunisia: Why Was Ben Ali’s Party Member of the Socialist International?
Till Recently a Member of the Socialist International.
This came up on France-Inter this morning.
Benoît Hamon, from the Parti Socialiste, was asked why the Rassemblement constitutionnel démocratique (RCD) (التجمع الدستوري الديمقراطي) of Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, was a member of the Socialist International. (Radio Broadcast Here. Background on Ben Ali in English here).
Hamon replied that the French socialists had tried to end this relationship. But nothing was done.
Nothing was heard about their efforts either, or we would have noticed.
I cite Wikipedia, “Jusqu’au début de la révolution tunisienne, le RCD est membre de l’Internationale socialiste dont il est exclu le 17 janvier 2011[4].” (here.)
They also had links with Europe’s right.
STRASBOURG) – Tunisia’s former ruling party, ousted president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s RCD, has been sacked from the worldwide International Socialist movement, German euro-parliamentarian Martin Schulz said Tuesday.Schulz said at the European parliament that the party, a member of the grouping of socialist movements since the 197os, “has been expelled.”
The movement’s website confirmed it had decided “to cease the membership of the Constitutional Democratic Assembly (RCD) of Tunisia.”
“This decision, in extraordinary circumstances, reflects the values and principles which define our movement and the position of the International on developments in that country,” it added.
The RCD also signed a cooperation agreement in June 2009 with the European People’s People’s Party (EPP), the largest and most influential political party in the European parliament.
It groups parties leaning to the centre-right.
All a bit late in the day, hein?
More Here.
the Egypt NDP of Mubarak is still a member of the SI … more on Ben Ali’s French friends: http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article19844
The fact that the RCD was a member of the Second International has been reasonbly well reported in Germany – or more their quick expulsion from it. It would be nice though to hear them described as “until recently the SPD’s sister party” on state radio though. I’ll eat my hat if it happens.
And by way of contrast
http://21stcenturymanifesto.wordpress.com/2011/01/27/some-are-complicit-with-ben-ali-and-some-not/
The NDP has just been expelled from the SI. http://www.socialistinternational.org/images/dynamicImages/files/Letter%20NDP.pdf
Thanks for that Richard.
Expressions like ‘late in the day’ are hardly sufficient.