Career
Political activity of the future president began in school years when being a senior pupil he actively joined in the underground struggle for independence of his country. He was a messenger between regional branches of the Socialist Destourian (Consitutional) Party. There were arrests, prisons and interrogations in his life.
After he finished lyceum in the city of Sousse 20-year-old Ben Ali was among those who should become the main body of the future national armed forces, he was sent to study in top military institutions of France (the Artillery School in Châlons-sur-Marne) and in the USA (the Senior Intelligence School and Air Defence School). Interest in computer science and electronics allowed him to receive one more diploma - the electronic engineer.
In 1958 Zine El Abidine Ben Ali already was the General Staff officer of the Tunisian army, then the chief of the Military Security Service, the military attaché in Morocco, the chief of the office of the Minister of Defence, the general director of National Security Service, the ambassador in Warsaw, the National Safety State Secretary and since April 28, 1986 he was the Home Secretary of Tunisia.
In the middle of 1987 the president of Tunisia appointed Abidine the prime minister (the fifth in succession). With it he continued as Home Secretary.
In case of death of the supreme leader or his resignation, according to the Tunisian constitution, the Prime Minister is entrusted with duties of the president (and also the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces) until the next parliamentary election held one time in five years. And Bem Ali took the advantage of the constitutional possibility. On November 7, 1987 84-year-old head of the state Habib Bugriba was ousted from the post which he had occupied since 1957. On the same day at plenary meeting of the parliament Zine El Abidine Ben Ali took the oath in front of the members of the new Cabinet and General officers of the Tunisian army.
In July, 1988 upon the initiative of the President Tunisia was the first among the Arab countries that ratified the convention against torture accepted by General Assembly of the United Nations in 1984. The objective of the policy of the country is democratization of public life, achievement of pluralism, jural state building. The part of religion simultaneously increased in the society life.
Construction of new mosques began, presidential awards for Koran teaching was instituted, competitions of readers of the Sacred writing of Muslims became regular.
1989 Presidential election returned to Tunisians the right to vote and be elected. Citizens of the country living abroad could vote in elections for the first time.
The majority of votes was given for Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and for Democratic Constitutional Association. It was the triumph of the new president which the French center of sociopolitical research declared in 1988 «the person of the year» and awarded laureate title of the international award «Democracy and human rights».
The president set himself an objective to turn Tunisia in the prospering open peaceable state. Possibilities for development of private business are created in the country, more than 3000 foreign enterprises operate, each year more than 5 million tourists come here. Tunisia reached the tenth place on gross domestic product growth among ten Arab states (first nine are occupied by the oil-exporting countries).
However, journalists are dissatisfied with the president. In 2001 he was named bitter press enemy as Tunisian mass-media are practically "pocket".