Constitution to reflect Tunisia's moderate identity

The president of the National Constituent Assembly of Tunisia, Dr. Mostafa Ben Jafar, has assured that the new Tunisian constitution "will reflect the moderate and luminous Islamic identity of Tunisia.". Ben Jafar, who is also the General Secretary of The Democratic forum for Labour and Freedoms (FDTL), told Arabstoday "we are aiming to reach a constitution which depends on the fundamental principles of our beliefs, so we can close the door to extremism and social disturbance.  We need a civil and modern constitution which reflects the genuine Islamic identity of Tunisia which is also acceptable to other civilisations". He stressed specific points which should be guaranteed in the new constitution, such as "separation of powers between the executive, legal, and judiciary authorities, assuring the judiciary independence, assuring the freedom of media and information, and the foundation of a constitutional court which will be assigned to ensure that the legal framework is compatible with the constitution". Jafar expressed  concern about the recent Salafist activities in Tunisia, saying "These activities are not just a threat against the national stability but also against the whole democratic change in the country.  Freedom to protest peacefully is tolerated,  he said but every activity "must abide by the law". Finally Jafar accepted  that Tunisia is facing many challenges, including security issues, social problems, and activating the national economy, adding that that the current ruling coalition is open to coordinate with political parties which are not currently participating in the government. He would welcome the end of what he called "indiscriminate protests"  so that the country can move from "the speaking stage to the working stage".