Tunisian MPs attend a parliament session in March 2013.<\/p>\n
Tunisian MPs will debate the draft new constitution that has been a source of conflict between the government and opposition for many months in the North African country.\n<\/p>\n
“The general debate on the draft constitution will take place on July 1. The date for the scrutiny of the text will be decided later,” National Constituent Assembly (NCA) spokeswoman Karima Souid said on Friday, AFP reported.\n<\/p>\n
MPs will express their opinions about the text of the document on July 1. Then the parliament will set a date for scrutiny of the new constitution in which MPs will review each article.\n<\/p>\n
A two-thirds majority in the NCA should approve the document to adopt it as a constitution otherwise the text must be put to a referendum.\n<\/p>\n
After its adoption, the government of Prime Minister Ali Larayedh will set dates for parliamentary and presidential elections. He has promised to hold elections between October 15 and December 15.\n<\/p>\n
In December 2010, Mohammed Bouazizi, an unemployed young Tunisian frustrated with poverty and financial problems, set himself ablaze and died.\n<\/p>\n
Bouazizi’s death sparked mass protests, which finally caused a popular revolution in Tunisia, leading to the ouster of the country\u00e2\u201e\u00a2s Western-backed dictator, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, in January 2011.\n<\/p>\n
In October 2011, the Islamic Ennahda party won 89 seats of a 217-strong assembly in the first democratic elections after the ouster of Ben Ali.\n<\/p>\n
In December 2011, the assembly adopted a provisional constitution to run state affairs.\n<\/p>\n
Feuding Tunisian politicians have missed several deadlines to draw up the new constitution. Finally, in June 2013, the NCA received the final draft of the constitution.\n<\/p>\n
GJH\/MHB<\/p>\n<\/div>\n