Mustapha Ben Jafar
Encyclopedia
Mustapha Ben Jafar (born 8 December 1940) is a Tunisia
n politician and doctor who has been President of the Constituent Assembly of Tunisia
since November 2011. He has led the Democratic Forum for Labour and Liberties
(FDTL), a political party, since 1994, and he briefly held the post of Minister of Health in January 2011 as part of an interim government.
from 1950–1956, then studied medicine in France to become a radiologist. In 1970 he returned to Tunisia, joined the University of Tunis
's medical faculty and worked also at the university hospital. In 1976 he was one of the founders of a weekly opinion magazine and an organization that evolved into the Tunisian League of Human Rights (LTDH).
In 1978 he joined others to start a political party, the Movement of Socialist Democrats
(MDS). The MDS was the largest opposition party as of 1991 and the ruling party made an apparent attempt to work with the MDS as a "participatory opposition." Ben Jafar was the secretary-general of the MDS in 1992, and ran for the top MDS office, but lost to Mohamed Moadda, and resigned from the party because it seemed to have cooperated with the ruling party so much (receiving a government subsidy and accommodations) and achieved so little.
In 1994 Ben Jafar founded the Democratic Forum for Labour and Liberties
(FDTL) party. It was not legally recognized until 2002. He attempted to run for the presidency in 2009 as the FDTL candidate but was disqualified and was in any case widely understood to have no chance to win against the established authoritarian incumbent president Ben Ali
.
included Ben Jafar as Minister of Health in an interim government beginning 17 January 2011. Along with other minority party members, Ben Jafar resigned within days as public protests continued against the continued dominance of the RCD
party in government. Ben Jafar was succeeded as health minister by Habiba Zehi Ben Romdhane
.
Ben Jafar's party, Ettakatol, placed fourth in the October 2011 elections to the Constituent Assembly, and Ben Jafar was elected to a seat in the Constituent Assembly. Supported by his own party, Ben Jafar was considered a possible candidate for President
in the wake of the election, receiving open consideration from Ennahda, which had received a plurality of seats. However, the leading parties agreed on a power-sharing arrangement according to which Ben Jafar would instead receive the post of President of the Constituent Assembly. He was accordingly elected to that post by the Constituent Assembly when it began meeting on 22 November 2011, receiving 145 votes against 68 for opposition candidate Maya Jribi
.
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
n politician and doctor who has been President of the Constituent Assembly of Tunisia
Constituent Assembly of Tunisia
The Constituent Assembly of Tunisia, or National Constituent Assembly is the body that works out a new Tunisian constitution for the era after the fall of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his Constitutional Democratic Rally –regime...
since November 2011. He has led the Democratic Forum for Labour and Liberties
Democratic Forum for Labour and Liberties
The Democratic Forum for Labour and Liberties , also referred to as Ettakatol or by its French acronym FDTL, is a social democratic political party in Tunisia. It was founded on 9 April 1994 and officially recognized on 25 October 2002. Its founder and Secretary-General is the radiologist Mustapha...
(FDTL), a political party, since 1994, and he briefly held the post of Minister of Health in January 2011 as part of an interim government.
Biography
Ben Jafar was born in 1940 in Tunis. He attended Sadiki CollegeSadiki College
Sadiki College, also known as Collège Sadiki, is a lycée in Tunis, Tunisia. It was established in 1875. Associations formed by its alumni played a major role in the early constitutionalist movement in the country....
from 1950–1956, then studied medicine in France to become a radiologist. In 1970 he returned to Tunisia, joined the University of Tunis
Tunis University
-Profile:The Tunis University has been watchful, for sixteen years, for the best use of the human and material means granted to higher education and scientific research institutions it supervises to improve their opening on the social, cultural and economic environments.With the aim of a better...
's medical faculty and worked also at the university hospital. In 1976 he was one of the founders of a weekly opinion magazine and an organization that evolved into the Tunisian League of Human Rights (LTDH).
In 1978 he joined others to start a political party, the Movement of Socialist Democrats
Movement of Socialist Democrats
The Movement of Social Democrats is an opposition political party in Tunisia. It was the second-largest party in the Chamber of Deputies, behind the dominant Constitutional Democratic Rally, with sixteen seats....
(MDS). The MDS was the largest opposition party as of 1991 and the ruling party made an apparent attempt to work with the MDS as a "participatory opposition." Ben Jafar was the secretary-general of the MDS in 1992, and ran for the top MDS office, but lost to Mohamed Moadda, and resigned from the party because it seemed to have cooperated with the ruling party so much (receiving a government subsidy and accommodations) and achieved so little.
In 1994 Ben Jafar founded the Democratic Forum for Labour and Liberties
Democratic Forum for Labour and Liberties
The Democratic Forum for Labour and Liberties , also referred to as Ettakatol or by its French acronym FDTL, is a social democratic political party in Tunisia. It was founded on 9 April 1994 and officially recognized on 25 October 2002. Its founder and Secretary-General is the radiologist Mustapha...
(FDTL) party. It was not legally recognized until 2002. He attempted to run for the presidency in 2009 as the FDTL candidate but was disqualified and was in any case widely understood to have no chance to win against the established authoritarian incumbent president Ben Ali
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali is a Tunisian political figure who was the second President of Tunisia from 1987 to 2011. Ben Ali was appointed Prime Minister in October 1987, and he assumed the Presidency on 7 November 1987 in a bloodless coup d'état that ousted President Habib Bourguiba, who was...
.
Post-revolutionary life
Turbulent protests in January 2011 drove President Ben Ali from the country, and Prime Minister Mohamed GhannouchiMohamed Ghannouchi
Mohamed Ghannouchi was the Prime Minister of Tunisia and was self-proclaimed acting President of the country for a few hours starting 14 January 2011, under Article 56 of the Constitution of Tunisia...
included Ben Jafar as Minister of Health in an interim government beginning 17 January 2011. Along with other minority party members, Ben Jafar resigned within days as public protests continued against the continued dominance of the RCD
Constitutional Democratic Rally
The Constitutional Democratic Rally , also referred to by its French acronym RCD, formerly called Neo Destour then Socialist Destourian Party, was the governing party in Tunisia. The party was suspended by the minister of interior on February 6th awaiting a decision on its dissolution by judicial...
party in government. Ben Jafar was succeeded as health minister by Habiba Zehi Ben Romdhane
Habiba Zehi Ben Romdhane
Habiba Zehi Ben Romdhane is Tunisia's health minister. She took office in the interim Tunisian government which began on January 28, 2011, after protests had dislodged a longstanding authoritarian government....
.
Ben Jafar's party, Ettakatol, placed fourth in the October 2011 elections to the Constituent Assembly, and Ben Jafar was elected to a seat in the Constituent Assembly. Supported by his own party, Ben Jafar was considered a possible candidate for President
President of Tunisia
The President of Tunisia, formally known as the President of the Tunisian Republic is the head of state of Tunisia. Tunisia is a presidential republic in which the president is the head of the executive branch of government with the assistance of the Prime Minister of Tunisia, formally the head of...
in the wake of the election, receiving open consideration from Ennahda, which had received a plurality of seats. However, the leading parties agreed on a power-sharing arrangement according to which Ben Jafar would instead receive the post of President of the Constituent Assembly. He was accordingly elected to that post by the Constituent Assembly when it began meeting on 22 November 2011, receiving 145 votes against 68 for opposition candidate Maya Jribi
Maya Jribi
Maya Jribi is a Tunisian politician. Since 2006, she has been the Secretary-General of the centre-left liberal Progressive Democratic Party ....
.