Time Line: Jasmine Revolution

Time Line: Jasmine Revolution

• December 17, 2010
  • Mohammed Bouazizi, a 26-year-old fruit-and-vegetable vendor in the Tunisian town of Sidi Bouzid, sets fire to himself in front of a local municipal office in protest after being mistreated by police. The first mass demonstrations against the government appear in Sidi Bouzid.
• December 24, 2010
  • A demonstrator participating in protests against the government is shot by police in the town of Menzel Bouziane.
• December 28, 2010
  • As clashes intensify, Tunisian Pres. Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali appears on state television to condemn the protests, which he says are the work of a few extremists.
• January 12, 2011
  • In an attempt to quell protests and to respond to growing international criticism of Tunisia’s handling of the unrest, Ben Ali dismisses the minister of the interior, Rafik Belhaj Kacem. The move fails to quiet demonstrations.
• January 13, 2011
  • In another bid to end demonstrations, Ben Ali appears on state television and offers a wide range of concessions. He announces he will not stand for reelection at the end of his term in 2014 and vows to institute a variety of political, economic, and social reforms. The concessions are largely dismissed by protesters as a desperate ploy to remain in power.
• January 14, 2011
  • As clashes grow more violent, especially in Tunis, Ben Ali declares a state of emergency and promises new legislative elections within six months. The announcement has no effect on demonstrations, and Ben Ali and his family flee Tunisia.
• January 17, 2011
  • Tunisia’s prime minister, Mohamed Ghannouchi, and interim president, Fouad Mebazaa, announce the composition of a new interim government, incorporating members of the opposition. However, key ministries in the new government are assigned to ministers who served in the same posts during the Ben Ali regime, causing further protests.
• January 19, 2011
  • Tunisian prosecutors open an inquiry into the finances of Ben Ali, who is believed to have amassed a fortune worth billions of dollars through a variety of corrupt practices.
• January 20, 2011
  • The central committee of the Democratic Constitutional Rally (RCD), the ruling party under Ben Ali, is dissolved, and members of the interim government leave the party.
• January 26, 2011
  • Tunisia issues an international warrant for the arrest of Ben Ali.
• February 6, 2011
  • The government suspends the RCD following demonstrations by protesters who claim that too much of the old regime remains intact.
• February 27, 2011
  • Amid continuing protests over the interim government’s links to the Ben Ali regime, Mohammed Ghannouchi steps down as interim prime minister. He is replaced by Beji Caid Sebsi.
• March 1, 2011
  • The Tunisian government legalizes the Nahḍah Party, an Islamic party banned under the Ben Ali regime, paving the way for it to enter candidates in future elections.
• March 3, 2011
  • Interim President Mebazaa announces that an election to choose a constitutional council will be held on July 24. Once elected, the council will be tasked with drafting a new constitution.
• March 7, 2011
  • The interim government dissolves Tunisia’s secret police force, which had suppressed political dissent under the Ben Ali regime.
• March 9, 2011
  • A Tunisian court officially dissolves the RCD, liquidating its assets and banning it from participation in any future election.
• April 14, 2011
  • The Tunisian ministry of justice announces that it has filed charges against Ben Ali, including those of manslaughter, drug trafficking, and conspiracy against the state.
• May 5, 2011
  • A former minister in the interim government predicts that members of the interim government will stage a coup if the Nahḍah Party wins in elections. His remarks, dismissed by members of the interim government and representatives of the Nahḍah Party, trigger several days of street protests.
• May 8, 2011
  • As clashes between police and protesters wind down in Tunis, interim Prime Minister Sebsi warns that elections could be delayed by logistical and technical issues.
• May 10, 2011
  • An independent electoral body is formed ahead of an election scheduled for July 24, 2011.
• June 8, 2011
  • The interim government postpones the election until October 23, 2011, saying that more time is required to prepare for a credible vote.
• June 20, 2011
  • Ben Ali and his wife, Leila Trabelsi, still in exile in Saudi Arabia, are convicted in absentia of having embezzled public funds. They are sentenced to 35 years in prison. Ben Ali still faces criminal trials on charges that include official corruption and the ordering of the use of lethal force against protesters.
• October 23, 2011
  • Elections are held to determine the composition of the 217-member Constituent Assembly, a new body with a mandate to appoint an interim cabinet and draft a new constitution. With voter turnout at nearly 70 percent, the moderate Islamist Nahḍah Party emerges as the clear victor, winning 90 seats with more than 40 percent of the vote.
• November 22, 2011
  • The Constituent Assembly holds its inaugural session.
• December 10, 2011
  • The Constituent Assembly adopts an interim constitution to remain in effect until a final constitution can be approved.
• December 12, 2011
  • Moncef Marzouki, a human rights activist and opposition leader under the Ben Ali regime, is elected president of Tunisia by the Constituent Assembly.
• December 14, 2011
  • Marzouki appoints Hamadi Jebali, a member of the Nahḍah Party, to the post of prime minister.