“Jasmine revolution” refers to the so-called “color” revolutions. What does this phrase mean? In the correct version, this phenomenon is called the mass opposition rally, which, as a rule, leads to a change of power. An exception M for all the years of the existence of these coups, managed and paid from the outside, are anti-state riots in China in 1989, called "Events on the Tiananmen Square." The revolution did not take place. All other coups have passed “with a bang”.
The essence of color revolutions
No matter how politically correct these outrages are called, in essence they are projects of the USA and Great Britain on the overthrow of legitimate power in the former republics of the USSR, the countries of the Warsaw Pact and the third world states, which include the states of Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. The first specifically “color” revolution took place in Lisbon in 1974 and was called the “carnation revolution”. This was followed by the "yellow revolution" in the Philippines in 1989. And then with what kind of flowers and in honor of what kind of plants the bloody events paid for from outside, declared as “the will of the people” were not called ...
Characteristic Features
The Jasmine Revolution, which took place in Tunisia in two stages, was played out - especially the second part - according to all the classic canons that had already become. They are, first of all, declared as a "bloodless" change of power, which is always presented as tyranny or an authoritarian regime. They are being replaced, of course, by democracy. A striking sign of color revolutions is the activation of various foundations and other organizations, including embassies sponsoring "revolutionaries." These events always begin with “peaceful” gatherings of oppressed citizens in squares, mainly central ones, as a result of which the country is subsequently covered with monuments to the victims of these coups.
First swallows
The Jasmine Revolution was no exception. The name was given to her by a flower, which is the national symbol of this country - jasmine. The first step was the bloodless displacement on November 7, 1987, by Habib Bourguib, the first president of the Tunisian Republic. As a result, Prime Minister Zin El-Abidine Ben Ali, appointed just 6 weeks earlier, comes to power. He became the permanent president, and this served as one of the main reasons for starting the second stage, or the "second jasmine revolution", which occurred at the beginning (January-February) of 2011.
A starting point
All the “color” revolutions, despite the complete identity of the methods and chronology of events, may have different reasons for the discontent of certain sections of the population with the existing power and the starting point from which, in fact, the unrest begins. The Jasmine Revolution (its second stage) began with an act of self-immolation committed in the city of Sidi Bouzid (central part of Tunisia) by a vegetable merchant, 26-year-old Mohammed Boisizi, holder of a university diploma. The act was completed on December 17, on January 4, Boisizi died in prison from extensive burns. He protested against the arbitrariness of the police and poverty. A police officer confiscated the goods in full, and before that she publicly insulted and hit the merchant. Needless to say, that later, taken into custody, she was acquitted for lack of evidence. The "Jasmine Revolution" in the country began precisely from the moment of the death of Boisisi.
Really bloodless coup
It should be noted that the peculiarity of this country located in the north of Africa was the high level of education of the population, and under the first president the level of corruption was also quite low. But by the time he was removed from his post as president for life, Habib Bourguib was 84 years old, which gave the ambitious Ben-Ali the constitutional right to carry out a bloodless coup, referring to article 57 (“for health reasons”) of the country's main law.
Such a good start
The years of Ben-Ali's rule, according to the UN, were marked by a 10-fold increase in national income per capita, the number of people below the poverty line decreased from 14 to 3.8%, the country was admitted to the WTO. Thanks to the new lifelong (since 2003) president, a new enlightenment era has begun - the laws guaranteed that every Tunisian must have a secondary education. For 9 million inhabitants of the country there were 5 thousand schools, and the middle class accounted for 60% of the population of Tunisia. Why would the “jasmine revolution" begin with such indicators? The country in 2010 had a GDP of 39.6 billion euros. But just then, the merchant Boisizi makes self-arson.
Internet at the service of organizers of color revolutions
Thanks to the Internet, history has been widely publicized, and it turns out that in the country a huge number of educated young people are sitting without work, there is a lot of inflation, and, most importantly, the state is sky-high in corruption. Information about the luxury that surrounded the president’s family has become public - ordinary people were shocked. President Laila Trabelsi’s second wife did much to get the Jasmine Revolution to begin, thanks to which corruption in the country flourished.
Not a riot, but a revolution
After the death of a young, desperate, certified vegetable trader, thousands of people took to the streets, first in Sidi Bouzid, and then throughout the country, because the authorities severely suppressed the first appearances - there were many wounded, two died from wounds in the hospital.
Economic demands were replaced by political ones. Now, 50 people have died in clashes with police in the entire central region. The Jasmine Revolution in Tunisia was gaining momentum. And, despite the silence of events by central television, thanks to the Internet, the country's population knew what was really happening. And when the president spoke on television with an appeal to a country in which he promised to create 300,000 jobs, he was no longer heard.
From love to hate
The promises of the release of all those detained as a result of the unrest and the removal from the post of Minister of Internal Affairs Rafik Belhaj Kassem did not help. The curfew and army units did not stop the masses from enforcing it. The slogan "The death of Ben Ali!" gaining strength. It took less than two weeks for the president, who ruled the country for 23 years, to be re-elected to this post 5 times with 99% of the population’s support, quickly disappear from Tunisia with his whole family. On January 14, at 17:00, it was announced that Zin al-Abidine bin Ali had left the country. Power passed into the hands of the military.
All according to the same scenario
Such terms for the removal of the legitimate ruler suggest some thoughts about what the “jasmine revolution" really is, who started and continued to lead the unfolding actions. And subsequent events leave no doubt that little is actually present from the spontaneity of the behavior of the masses, and everything that happens is more likely a very well-planned action. The indignant crowd is not happy with anything. Muhammad al-Ganushi, the former prime minister and temporarily taking the presidency, promises the people the speedy implementation of democratic reforms. But as if on command gangs of looters begin to act. In response, people’s committees are created by the population. The Constitutional Court enters the scene, completely depriving all the powers of both the runaway president and the prime minister al-Ganushi.
Controlled chaos
Temporarily governing the state is handed over to Speaker Fuad al-Mobzaa. The dates for the election of a new president are set, they must pass within 60 days. The interim head of state instructs all the same al-Ganushi to create a government of national unity. An amnesty is declared to all political prisoners, all previously banned parties are allowed. Of course, investigations are launched into the corruption of representatives of the former government. And this decision is made by none other than the former prime minister. And again the "jasmine revolution" continues. In which country where such a shock occurred, in the front ranks of the fighters against corruption of the previous regime, those who contributed to its heyday would not have acted
Another prime minister holds on to his chair
Demonstrators again take to the streets of the Tunisian capital demanding the removal from power of all those who ruled the country under the former regime. The largest union declares non-recognition of the interim transitional government. And all this happens in the first week after the president’s flight. On January 23, another peaceful, but now nightly, with candles, demonstration begins, which in the morning develops into mass hooliganism with glass breaking in government buildings, setting fire to cars and other traditional actions of “spontaneous” protests of citizens. Demonstrations demanding the resignation of al-Ganushi are gaining momentum, and already on February 25, more than 100 thousand people take to the streets. On the 27th, he resigns.
The results of the revolution
Beji Kaid-Essebsey, also a former minister, becomes Prime Minister. According to the UN, the "jasmine revolution" cost the country 1.6 billion euros, the country lost 219 people killed and 510 were injured. Following it, unrest swept through some nearby countries - these events were called the "Arab Spring". So what actually constitutes a "jasmine revolution", where are its conquests? According to experts, the economic losses of all countries affected by the "Arab spring" amounted to 225 billion dollars. Directly among the Tunisians, apart from pride that "they were the first", there are no achievements. And, judging by the very fast redistribution of spheres of influence in the region, one can safely speak of a well-planned action presented as “the spontaneous action of the masses against the totalitarian regime”.
Some researchers believe that the true cause of these events was the struggle for spheres of influence between the Anglo-Saxons and China in the field of hydrocarbon production - oil and gas.