I will not be standing for office. I'm nearing 70; there are younger people within our movement. I just wish to contribute intellectually to the historic process of taking Tunisia from the era of repression to one of democracy.

Just like in medicine, when the normal medicine no longer works, one resorts to surgery. And the revolutions is like the surgery: Its painful, and its the last resort for nations.

We in Tunisia have no problem with respecting other peoples religion, and we have a long tradition of that.

What Tunisia urgently needs, is freedom and the building of a real democracy.

I will not be standing for office. I'm nearing 70; there are younger people within our movement. I just wish to contribute intellectually to the historic process of taking Tunisia from the era of repression to one of democracy.

I hope that with the success of the transition to democracy in Tunisia that we will export to Egypt a working democratic model.

I believe that women should have equal rights to education, to work and to civic and political engagement.