The President of Tunisia’s National Constituent Assembly, Mustapha Ben Jaafar, was hosted at a small dinner in Washington, D.C., May 6 by NDI Vice Chairman Thomas Daschle and NDI President Ken Wollack. Dr. Ben Jaafar discussed the commitment of Tunisia's political leaders to resolving differences through consensus as they steered the country through its democratic transition and the drafting of a new constitution.

“Tunisia has shown great patience, a lot of sacrifice, and an exceptional capacity to forge compromises to build new institutions, restore our economy, and create the conditions for lasting security,” said Ben Jaafar. “Dialogue between Islamist and secular political forces developed ​based on the idea that liberties are indivisible and that there is no pretext that can justify repressing someone simply for having ideas different from your own.”

Published May 8, 2014