TUNIS - Tunisia’s leaders on Monday signed the new constitution adopted by lawmakers during the night, a key goal of the revolution three years ago that touched off the Arab Spring.
The historic document, seen as one of the most modern in the Arab world, was signed by outgoing Islamist premier Ali Larayedh, Speaker Mustapha Ben Jaafar, and President Moncef Marzouki during a ceremony at the National Constituent Assembly.
“With the birth of this text, we confirm our victory over dictatorship,” Marzouki said in a speech to the assembly, before signing the document which he then embraced, waving the victory sign. “Much work remains to make the values of our constitution a part of our culture,” he said.
The charter, which took more than two years to draft, will enter into force in stages after its publication in the official journal, and in the run-up to fresh parliamentary and presidential elections later this year.
Tunisia’s dominant Islamist party Ennahda said it expected elections to take place in October. Lawmakers approved the new charter in a late night session, with an overwhelming majority of 200 votes in favour, 12 against and four abstentions.
After months of political crisis and sporadic violence, Sunday’s vote set Tunisia on course to achieve at least some of the goals of the uprising that toppled longtime dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011.
Foreign leaders welcomed the vote in Tunisia, which, despite its own problems, is a beacon of hope compared with other Arab Spring nations like Libya and Egypt, both mired in instability and political turmoil.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called it a “historic milestone” and said Tunisia was a model for other countries seeking reform, while EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton hailed “important progress” in the North African country’s democratic transition.
The vote was made possible by Ennahda’s agreement to relinquish power in a bid to end months of political deadlock, allowing technocrat prime minister-designate Mehdi Jomaa to form a government of independents to lead the country to fresh elections.  Jomaa presented his line-up to the president on Sunday evening, before lawmakers voted on the constitution, and now must win a vote of confidence in parliament.
Jomaa said his top priority will be to create the right conditions for legislative and presidential polls later this year. The polls will mark the final step towards resolving Tunisia’s political crisis, triggered by the assassination of two prominent secular politicians last year by suspected jihadists.
“Within six weeks there will be an electoral law. There is a clear path to the next elections, which will probably take place in October 2014,” senior Ennahda official Ameur Larayedh told AFP.
The official dates of the parliamentary and presidential elections must be decided by the electoral body (ISIE) that was set up in January.
ISIE president Chafik Sarsar said “the elections would take place before 2015,” in line with the provisions of the new constitution.
The EU’s Ashton urged the new government to deploy “all the means of the state” to organise transparent and credible elections as swiftly as possible.
The national assembly was elected in October 2011, nine months after the revolution, with Ennahda - a once-banned Islamist movement - winning the largest share of the vote.
But its mission to adopt a new constitution within one year was disrupted by bitter divisions between Ennahda and the secular opposition, coupled with jihadist violence and persistent social unrest.
The constitution that was finally agreed on last week, after weeks of heated debate on issues such as women’s rights and the role of Islam, is a compromise which some observers have warned is at times incoherent or vague.
But it is widely regarded as the most progressive constitution in the region.
Executive power is divided between the prime minister, who will have the dominant role, and the president, who retains important prerogatives, notably in defence and foreign affairs.
Islam is not mentioned as a source of legislation, although it is recognised as the nation’s religion and the state is committed to “prohibiting any attacks on the sacred”, while freedom of conscience is guaranteed.