MER Article Beyond Ghannouchi On October 23, 2011, for the first time since independence in 1956, Tunisians were called to the polls in free and transparent elections. They were to choose 217 members of a Constituent Assembly that for a year would play a double role: drafting a new constitution and governing the country. Francesco Cavatorta, Rikke Hostrup Haugbølle • 15 min read