merrion street

The Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr. Eamon Gilmore, T.D, congratulated the Tunisian people on the holding of the first free and democratic elections in that country.

The Tánaiste said:

We have witnessed momentous and historic change across North Africa and the Middle East over the last ten months. Ordinary people stood together to demand change, to demand freedom and to demand their rights.

Today, we have seen this courage and determination result in genuine change. The people of Tunisia have gone to the polls and exercised their right to elect their leaders in the first free and democratic election held in Tunisia. It is incumbent upon those elected to the new Constituent Assembly to fulfill the expectations of the Tunisian people for leadership, accountability and integrity from their elected representatives.

The Arab Spring began with the desperate act of a Tunisian stallholder less than a year ago. Today’s election is a noteworthy step towards the emergence of real and stable democracies in the region, working to better the lives of their citizens.