Socialist Destourian Party

The Socialist Destourian Party (Arabic: الحزب الاشتراكي الدستوري el-Ḥizb el-Ishtirākī ed-Dustūrī ; French: Parti socialiste destourien) was the ruling political party of Tunisia from 1964 to 1988. Bahi Ladgham was the first Prime Minister from the party and Hédi Baccouche was the last. It was founded on 22 October 1964 and disbanded on 27 February 1988. Habib Bourgiba was the first president of the Socialist Destourian Party from 1964 to 1987. He was succeeded by Zine El Abidine Ben Ali from 1987 to 1988.

Socialist Destourian Party/Constitutional Socialist Party
حزب الاشتراكي الدستوري
French nameParti socialiste destourien
Former presidentsHabib Bourguiba (1964–1987)
Zine El Abidine Ben Ali (1987–1988)
Founded22 October 1964 (1964-10-22)
Dissolved27 February 1988 (1988-02-27)
Preceded byNeo Destour
Succeeded byDemocratic Constitutional Rally
NewspaperL'Action Tunisienne
IdeologyTunisian nationalism
Secularism
Authoritarianism
Bourguibism
Historical, until 1969:
Socialism
Political positionCentre-left
Historical, until 1969
Left-wing
International affiliationSocialist International

History edit

Independence of Tunisia from France was negotiated largely by the Neo Destour's Bourguiba. The effective date was March 20, 1956. The next year the Republic of Tunisia was constituted, which replaced the Beylical form of government. Tunisia became a one-party state, with Neo Destour as the ruling party under Prime Minister and later President Habib Bourguiba.[1] Later the Neo Destour party was renamed the Socialist Destourian Party in 1964, to signal the government's commitment to a socialist phase of political-economic development. This phase failed to fulfill expectations, however, and was discontinued in 1969 with the dismissal of Ahmad ben Salah as economics minister by President Bourguiba. During its existence between 1964 and 1988, the Constitutional Socialist Party witnessed several shocks, the first of which resulted from its abandonment of the socialist experiment in the fall of 1969 without abandoning its name at that time..[2][3][4]

The party was dissolved by President Ben Ali in 1988 and replaced by the Democratic Constitutional Rally.[5]

Electoral history edit

Presidential elections edit

Election Party candidate Votes % Result
1964 Habib Bourguiba 100% Elected  Y
1969 100% Elected  Y
1974 100% Elected  Y

Chamber of Deputies elections edit

Election Party leader Votes % Seats +/– Position Result
1964 Habib Bourguiba 1,255,153 100%
101 / 101
  101   1st Sole legal party
1969 1,363,939 100%
101 / 101
    1st Sole legal party
1974 1,570,954 100%
112 / 112
  11   1st Sole legal party
1979 1,560,753 100%
121 / 121
  9   1st Sole legal party
1981 1,828,363

in alliance with the UGTT

94.2%
136 / 136
  15   1st SDP–UGTT coalition government
1986 in alliance with the UGTT
125 / 125
  11   1st SDP–UGTT coalition government

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Brace, Morocco Algeria Tunisia (Prentice Hall 1964) pp. 114-116, 121-123, 140-143.
  2. ^ Perkins, A History of Modern Tunisia (Cambridge University 2004) at 146-147.
  3. ^ Jean R. Tartter, "Government and Politics" at 234-238, in Tunisia. A Country Study (Washington, D. C. 1987).
  4. ^ Abadi, Tunisia since the Arab Conquest (Ithaca 2013) pp. 139-141.
  5. ^ "Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD) | Tunisia, Party, History, & Ideology | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-12-15.