Afek is a phonetic simulation of Arabic word (????) which means aspiration. The party was formed after the revolution and grew famous thanks to its political ads and the perceived modernity of its doctrines.

According to its statements and principles, the party could be ideologically classified in the spectrum of center to liberal. Many Tunisians -presumably not independents but adherents of other parties- claim that this party is targeted to the upper and wealthy classes and is frequently called bourgeois. These judgments are obviously deducted on the grounds of the particularities of the party’s refined and intellectually advanced discourse advocating for secularism and emphasizing the urge to strengthen the civil liberties while most Tunisians seem to be overwhelmed by other causes related to corruption, unemployment and security.

Since its establishment, the party has been prone to systematic sabotage; its meetings were disrupted frequently during the last months with the infamous french word ‘dégage’ which means leave. Moreover, rumors of threats against its members were found on the internet, but nothing was confirmed. Nevertheless, the party was a huge success in accumulating popularity of different proclivities of Tunisians, especially among university graduates and secularists.

Moncef Marzouki, the head of the Congress for the Republic (CPR) claimed that Afek consists of ex-members of the RCD party. As these accusations are considered outrageous and genuinely offensive in Tunisia today, Afek recently -according to their official Facebook page and Al Maghreb newspaper- decided to sue Marzouki for his “inappropriate statements and deficiency of  professional ethics”. This decision comes after informing Marzouki that Afek Tounes would keep its right to sue him for defaming people to reduce the number of his political rivals. Beneath are excerpts from Afek Tounes’ program according to their website:

Politics:

-Reinforcement of the republic and establishment of democracy.

-Defending human rights.

-Protection of personal and civil liberties: the freedom of expression, granting the right to be active in civil society, freedom of religion, freedom of opinion.

-Separation of powers.

-Defending the principle of pre-determining electoral mandates.

-Reinforcing horizontal democracy with elected regional institutions.

Economy:

-Empowering the organizing and systematic role of the government in order to launch an adequate cohesive economy.

-Focus on high value-added activities.

-Working on appealing to foreign and internal investments by setting economic qualities based on transparency and integrity.

-Encouraging the sector of agriculture by modernizing equipment in order to raise rates of productivity and make farming more cost-effective.

Culture:

-Enhancing the role of cultural centers throughout Tunisia and forging its partnership with educational institutes.

-Developing collaboration, cooperation with artists and thinkers and regarding them as the foundation of social progress, with full respect of their independence.