[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 126 (Thursday, July 25, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E995]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             HONORING TUNISIAN PRESIDENT BEJI CAID ESSEBSI

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 25, 2019

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, the United States today 
stands in solidarity with the noble people of Tunisia as they mourn the 
passing of their first democratically elected president, Beji Caid 
Essebsi.
  The world will never forget President Essebsi's remarkable 
stewardship of Tunisia's democratic transition after the 2011 Arab 
Spring uprisings. He was the right man at the right time: a seasoned 
politician for more than 60 years, President Essebsi was the only 
Tunisian politician to hold political office in the new democracy as 
well as throughout dictatorships of Habib Borguiba and Zine el-Abidine 
Ben Ali. A statement issued by the Tunisian government upon President 
Essebsi's passing rightly called him one of Tunisia's ``greatest men 
and one of those who contributed the most to building it.''
  Tunisia flowered into the model democracy borne out of the Arab 
Spring in part due the commitment of Tunisians like President Essebsi 
to realize the dream of Tunisian democracy. Despite being an ardent 
secularist who championed the rights of women, President Essebsi was 
also always ready to engage all elements of Tunisian society, including 
the Islamists, precisely because he believed that all Tunisians have a 
right to political participation.
  As the Tunisian people mourn this great loss, the people of the 
United States stand with them, ready to lend a helping hand to overcome 
this next challenging chapter. We send our heartfelt condolences to 
President Essebsi's family and the Tunisian people. I have no doubt 
that the people of Tunisia will honor the legacy of President Essebsi's 
life through their continued awe-inspiring dedication to democracy and 
the rule of law.

                          ____________________