22 January 2011 /International Bureau / Statement No: 54 

The unemployed university graduate M. Buaziz set his body on fire and turned into a spark which started a social movement and uprisings in North Africa, first of all in Tunisia, Algeria and Egypt and even in Albania. This revolutionary revolt of the peoples of the region caused panic in the ranks of the governments of the capitalist bourgeoisie and the reactionary-fascist regimes in the Middle East, in North Africa and the world. The people´s revolt in Tunisia, which is continuing since December 17, has overthrown the 23-years-long dictatorship; the reactionary government led by Zeynel Abidin Ben Ali and made him flee from the country.
The people of Tunisia wants change by a revolution. The political future of the country will depend on the situation of the inner and foreign dynamics, the political balance of power and the party and forces leading the social uprising.
Among the reasons for the uprising in Tunisia is not only political repression, but also hikes in prices of petrol and food, unemployment (55% of the university graduates are unemployed), hunger and poverty. It is a reaction against the delayed economic and social consequences of the capitalist neoliberal politics in the region.
Recently, the region witnessed actions against hikes in bread prices and through documents published by wikileaks, the wealth of the Tunisian dynasty and the secret relations with the US were revealed.
Ben Ali and members of the Tunisian government - devoted stooges of EU and US imperialists - are the exclusive owners of the capital deposited at Swiss banks, the earnings from tourism and tons of gold. US imperialism collaborated with Tunisia in the colonialist wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and other regions. Secretly detained people have been kept in secret tracts of Tunisian prisons. The Tunisian secret service participated together with US torture specialists in interrogation at the air base Bagram in Afghanistan.
Ben Ali, who was forced to leave the country, took the road of imperialist support and continuing the old regime in a new way in accordance with the imperialist politics. He announced new elections, freedom of press and release of political prisoners. However, these concessions were not enough in order to put out the fire. The people demand the resignation of the interim-government. The General Workers Union of Tunisia (UGTT) called for general strike demanding resignation of the interim-government.
Tunisia experiences a political transition period. Many political and social forces, actors of the process, facts and subjects will play a role. Nationalists, Islamists, left parties and forces, among them also the Communist Workers´ Party of Tunisia and the Movement of Change take part in the uprising and are demanding a new constitution. In the current situation we can name it a spontaneous movement. Under the united leadership of progressive forces the process may develop towards a democratic power.
The opposition in Tunisia is developing in two main lines. On one hand the parties and organisations trying to find a compromise with the old regime and on the other hand the peoples committees, trade unions and progressive-revolutionary forces.
The counterrevolutionary forces are still shooting at the people and creating chaos. Against that, the workers, labourers and oppressed are organising themselves all over the country in peoples committees and are carrying out actions of self-defence and attack against those provocative forces.
The bourgeois opposition tries, supported by the imperialists, to find a compromise with the regime. The peoples committees, trade unions and the revolutionary opposition are trying to change the situation, to guaranty the side-products of revolution and are making efforts to build the political pendant of the revolutionary revolt.
The revolt shown that the ground for regional revolutions in the time of imperialist globalisation is today stronger than before and points out the need of political and mass organisation at regional level.
The revolt is a reaction of protest against the social consequences of the neoliberal politics of the capitalist crisis.
At the Arabic peninsula and in North Africa a revolutionary wave is developing. This wave of actions is caused by objective class interests. The present situation shows that in the Islamic countries, always equated with reaction by the capitalist bourgeoisie and its ideologists, dynamics for the struggle for freedom and socialism are strong.
The revolt is a revolutionary uprising of the people against the evils and illnesses of capitalism and private property and the imperialist Greater Middle East Project.
The revolt shows once again that the political subjects and leadership of the proletariat and the oppressed masses is of significant importance for the success of change.
The peoples and the proletariat of the world, their communist, revolutionary and progressive parties should follow the example of the revolutionary uprising of the Tunisian people against the capitalist system and reaction and they should consider and defend it as part of their own revolutionary action. They are face to face with the historical and political duty to spread this uprising, this fire.

Long live the revolutionary revolt of the Tunisian people!
Long live the international solidarity of the proletariat and the peoples!