Voice of America quotes Rafik Hariri Center Senior Fellow Amy Hawthorne on the recent parliamentary elections in Tunisia:
“It is another big step toward a democratic transition in Tunisia that stands in contrast to the upheavals elsewhere since the birth of Arab Spring,” said Amy Hawthorne, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Hariri Center for the Middle East.
The alliance Nidaa Tounes – whose name means “Call for Tunisia” – took the most votes, but not enough for a majority of seats.
Hawthorne said she detected some fear among voters that the alliance victory comes with many figures from the old regime who could lead to a government that does not embrace democratic practices.