Kasserine, Tunisia .. From the birthplace of the revolution to the arena of electoral conflict

Mohamed Ali Latifi-Tunisia

In the western city of Kasserine, the popular mood of the "bride of the martyrs" did not hide the fact that the province has become arenas and arena of political conflict to attract more voters ahead of presidential elections next Sunday.

At a meeting in his home town, supporters of the candidate for the premature election gathered Lotfi Meraihi, one of the cities he focused on during his election campaign across the country.

Al-Maraihi, a candidate for the Republican People's Party, pledged to eradicate the triad of poverty, unemployment and terrorism, and to seek an equitable distribution of wealth among the provinces, in order to achieve decent living, especially in the cities of the birthplace of the revolution.

More recently, Najm Meraihi, who grew up in the Hydra district of a local government center in Kasserine province, recently rose from a semi-submerged, carrying an economic program that some described as realistic and close to the people of marginalized areas that revolted against the rule of ousted Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in the events of the December 10 revolution December 2010 - January 14, 2011.

Hamma Hammami (leftist dissident) was the first presidential candidate to choose Kasserine as a gateway for the launch of his campaign marathon as part of his inner-city tour, where his election platform was reviewed.

It is expected that the city of martyrs will be a destination and an electoral station for the remaining candidates in the next few days, most notably Defense Minister Abdul Karim al-Zubaidi.

Street mood
The popular mood of the "bride of the martyrs" (a local name for minors) did not hide the fact that the province had become arenas and arena of political conflict to attract more voters, such as media salons, and television debates for one purpose, namely to win the presidential chair.

One activist says the change in the street mood in Kasserine province against former power poles and traditional candidates - usually members of the business class and the ousted Ben Ali regime - was the result of the city's systematic marginalization and poverty for decades.

The residents of the city of martyrs - in most of their statements to the island Net - that they are merely an electoral interface for political rivals who did not set foot in the city throughout their rule except for a few times just to shake the morale of the people or security forces.

The people of Kasserine raised the slogan "Digaj" (inspired by the slogans of the revolution and means go) against a number of presidential candidates, led by current Prime Minister Youssef Chahed during a popular meeting to publicize his electoral platform.

And linked a wide section of the people of Kasserine province expelled the witness and raised the slogan "go" in the face, ignoring the province previously, and not to visit since taking office as prime minister, despite natural disasters and terrorist attacks.

Electoral promises
Not far from the place of the popular meetings of candidates for the presidential elections, and in front of the pictures of their posters that filled the streets, the youth of Kasserine, which revolted against poverty and tyranny, are still stationed in the protest camps, for old demands summed up in employment, and just development among the various parts of the country.

In the view of the people that it is wise today not to rely on the politicians who failed yesterday, and entered the battlefield of politics from the gateway to the fight against corruption, to change the reality of their side, which did not do justice to the governments (nine governments) successive since the revolution.

According to political activist Fathi Dakhili of Al Jazeera Net, talking about electoral promises is premature, as we can assess things only by concrete actions, and what we see after nine years of the revolution is the high poverty and high cost of living in the province of Kasserine, which has been declared a closed military zone.

National Security
For his part, the human rights activist Murad Farah said in a statement to Al Jazeera Net that the issue of national security and the establishment of peace and social stability are the most important aspects that the next head of state must work to adhere to, as well as provide employment and support for small farmers and encourage investment.

Farah called on the president to be elected to work to eliminate the armed men belonging to terrorist organizations, such as al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and the Islamic State, and holed up in the mountains of Samama, Shaanabi and Salloum.

According to a study conducted by the Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights (non-governmental), Kasserine ranks second in terms of the highest poverty index (30.5%) and second in the unemployment index with unemployment rate of 38.9%, but its development index did not exceed 0.16%.