Zawaya

Salah Zeghidi

Salah Zeghidi is a retired executive at the Tunisian National Bank for Tourism Development. He is also a founder of the 2004 Democratic Initiative for legislative and presidential elections. A former Union founder and activist, Zeghidi has also written about human rights issues.

Opinions by this panelist

Elections should result in transfer of power

Elections in democracies are critical milestones in political life; events that emphasise the sustainability and vitality of the democratic aspect of these regimes. Elections also are the gateway to sharing power for interested citizens, whereby voters get to change their… more

Education and innovation alone will not solve problems of maghreb countries

In the systematic speech he delivered in Cairo, President Obama tackled a variety of topics and issues in the scope of what he presented as a call to Arabs and Muslims... With regard to the part of his speech about… more

The joy at the release of the lockerbie bomber is a testimony to the country's backwardness

The release of Libyan terrorist who carried out the bombing of the Lockerbie plane, which killed more than 200 innocent civilians, has sparked many reactions that ranged from deep resentment to jubilant joy. While many circles have expressed their disapproval… more

A cultural battle rages at the heart of democratization in the maghreb

Elections in democracies are critical milestones in political life; events that emphasise the sustainability and vitality of the democratic aspect of these regimes. Elections also are the gateway to sharing power for interested citizens, whereby voters get to change their… more

The premise of an african seat on the security council is hard to achieve

The attitudes and practices of Colonel Kadhafi always stir a lot of tense and ironic responses, and his governance style itself causes surprise and bewilderment. As a matter of fact, Kadhafi is the only leader in the world to have… more

Social tragedy

No one disagrees that the problem of homelessness is a social tragedy that cannot be compared, in terms of seriousness, to any other social issue, especially that it has been affecting a growing number of children. Moreover, some Maghreb countries… more

Eradicating terrorism through border security and economic prosperity

Some African countries have become a breeding ground or a passage for drug-trafficking, or even stable or mobile bases for AQIM terrorist battalions and groups to train their members, kidnap people, and move across the borders as they please. Al-Qaeda's… more

Civil society also needs to help build a unified maghreb

It's been more than twenty years since the establishment of the Arab Maghreb Union, that comprises Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Mauritania... The Maghreb leaders established this Union under circumstances that were characterized by two major factors that had definitely… more

Maghreb unity is the only way for the region to face the threat of terrorism

Arab summit meetings take place with the same pace, and implement the same technical, organizational and media mechanisms. The latest of these "historic" dates was held in the Libyan city of Sirte. The surprising thing about this session is that… more

The dilemma of press freedom in the maghreb

The dilemma of press and media freedom in the Maghreb region is getting increasingly complicated day by day. Numerous and various reports are continuously issued, but they all - or almost - agree on the poor situation of the press… more

fundamental societal reform key to development

The Institute of Economy and Peace issued, for the third year in a row, its Global Peace Index for more than one hundred countries across the world... This index indicates the extent of progress of the sampled countries in all… more

Civil society sees its participation in sustainable development hindered

There has been a lot of talk recently about sustainable development as a new concept and orientation for development issues that are the main concern of all governments and global institutions. Consequently, many organizations and associations emerged to occupy a… more

The laayoune clashes have strengthened the polisario

The dramatic events that took place in the Sahara last month were a huge surprise to everyone, given the magnitude of the demonstrations and the intensity of the clashes between thousands of demonstrators and the Moroccan army. Some observers of… more

Unemployment could become a explosive time-bomb

Illegal immigration of Maghreb youth to Europe, also known as "Herguan" in Tunisia, in order to earn a living or reach the "El Dorado" they think France and Spain are, has become part of our daily lives in Maghreb societies.… more

Tunisia: a period of transition

Tunisia's changes in the aftermath of the uprising that toppled President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, raise a big question mark over the extent of the potential transformations in major Tunisian political choices regarding the universal system of human rights.… more

Libya at the crossroads

Libya has several specific characteristics. Everyone knows that the ruling regime in the Libyan Jamahiriya is unique... Gaddafi defines his regime as a republic, governed directly by the populace through the People's Committees. Since the beginning of the uprising of… more

Maghreb armed forces: a role being defined

Whenever a Maghreb country becomes a scene of critical events that may affect its political stability, the political and civil elites raise an extremely important and controversial question: Can the armed forces in Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco maintain stability and… more

Secularism as the only viable model

After toppling the regime's most prominent figure who ruled the country for 23 years, Tunisia witnessed the surprising rise of Ennahda party and the return of its leaders who were living abroad. What's truly striking is the emergence of Ennahda… more

The quest for more freedom continues

Political prisoners have been, unsurprisingly, a central issue in the struggle for democracy in the Maghreb for nearly forty years, as many democracy advocates in the region were detained for years in the prisons of authoritarian regimes... Political imprisonment is… more

Will terrorism stop reforms?

Islamic terrorist activities in the Maghreb have decreased in the past few months, with fewer and less intense confrontations in Algeria, and no bombings or explosions in Morocco and Mauritania. In the meantime, the focus was centered on social and… more

A true independent judiciary is a must to protect citizens

The establishment of democracy in the Arab-Muslim world, and the Maghreb, is a complex and multidimensional issue... The problem that arises first is the scope of the relationship between the State and religion, not in terms of symbols, but in… more

The revolution must continue

The successive events that have been taking place in a number of Arab countries give rise to intense debates and important questions. Nobody is left unaffected by the "Arab Spring". The fall of dictators such as Ben Ali and Mubarak,… more

The smuggling of weapons in the maghreb: a new challenge for governments

The issue of arms smuggling in the Maghreb region has caused a great concern for the leaders of the Maghreb countries in the last decade, especially since the emergence of Al-Qaeda in the Maghreb. There have been several meetings and… more