"Tunisia's Historic Elections and Coming Challenges"

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy announces that it will hold a forum titled "Tunisia's Historic Elections and Coming Challenges" on Wednesday, October 29 at 2 p.m.

As the international community rallies to confront the so-called Islamic State (ISiS) and other aspects of regional and global turbulence, revolutionary Tunisia has continued to surprise and surpass expectations. It has become, after nearly four years, the Arab world's longest and most profound democratic experiment. On Sunday, Tunisia completed its first landmark elections since historic passage of a progressive and consensual constitution Preliminary results of elections are coinciding with this event, for which we have assembled some of the leading commentators on Tunisian politics in the United States.

Please join us for first hand accounts from the polls and insights into breaking news from #tnelec and from across Tunisia. The event will include critical analysis of the emerging narratives of what just happened (such as "old regime restoration," "secular victory," "Islamist defeat," "the conservatives won," or "the democrats won.") Panelists will handicap the presidential elections in three weeks and will outline key challenges for Tunisia going forward, as well as make the case for increasing U.S. engagements with Tunisia to support a fragile democracy.

What: Forum "Tunisia's Historic Elections and Coming Challenges"

When: Wednesday, October 29, 2014 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Where: The National Press Club, Washington DC

Confirmed speakers include His Excellency Mohamed Ezzine Chelaifa, Tunisian ambassador to the United States, Jeffrey England, National Democratic Institute's Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa—just back from leading an election observation team to Tunisia—Stephen McInerney, Executive Director of the Project on Middle East Democracy (POMED), Daniel Brumberg, Senior Advisor at the U.S. Institutes for Peace and Co-Director of Democracy and Governance Studies at Georgetown University, and William Lawrence, Director of Middle East and North African Programs at CSID, Visiting Professor at George Washington University's Elliott School, and President of the American Tunisian Association.

SOURCE CSID