Ghannouchi Defends Islamist Rule in Tunisia

GAMMARTH, Tunisia — Tunisia's post-revolution experience has proven that Islam and democracy are not contradictory terms, and the country's democratic transition could serve as a model for other Arab Spring countries, according to the leader of the ruling Islamist party.

Rached Ghannouchi, president of the Ennahda movement, said Friday the October 2011 National Constituent Assembly elections demonstrated that Islamists were the most popular choice among the population. Even so, the party is working with others in the government to establish a model that will prevent the retreat to dictatorship, he said. The troika government, made up of what he called moderate secularist and moderate Islamist wings, has agreed on a number of principles and actions.

"Ennahda is not imposing anything on society," he said. "There is no contradiction between democracy and Islam."

Ghannouchi's commentary comes at a sensitive time in the country. In February, an opposition leader was assassinated and some laid blame on Ennahda for failing to keep armed groups under control, raising fears of political violence. Many in the opposition are particularly vexed by Ghannouchi, who is head of the party, but holds no official governmental post. His critics openly refer to him as a "dictator" and some intellectuals have even likened the present government to the Islamic Republic of Iran, where Islamists control the state institutions, but an unelected spiritual leader calls the shots from outside the government.