Ben Ali, Zine el-Abidine

Ben Ali, Zine el-Abidine (zē`nĕl abĭdēn bĕn älē`), 1936–, president of Tunisia (1987–). Educated in France and the United States, he entered the army and became minister of national security (1984–86) and interior minister (1986–87). In Oct., 1987, he became prime minister under the aging Tunisian president Habib Bourguiba, whom he deposed in a bloodless coup on Nov. 8, 1987. Ben Ali was elected president in 1989 and reelected in 1994, 1999, and 2004, but the elections have been marked by a lack of real opposition and government intimidation. He had a moderating influence on the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO leaders lived in Tunisia for 10 years) and has been a supporter of attempts at reaching peace with Israel. Domestically, he has continued to develop a relatively secular, Westernized, and increasingly middle-class nation.

---

Ben Ali, Zine el-Abidine

(born Sept. 3, 1938, near Sousse, Tun.) President of Tunisia (from 1987). Trained as a soldier, he headed the defense ministry's military intelligence section for 10 years (1964–74) before entering the foreign service. He served as ambassador to Poland before returning home to hold several domestic government posts, which culminated in a dual appointment as prime minister and interior minister. In 1987 he replaced President Habib Bourguiba, who had been declared medically unfit. He was returned to office in elections in 1989, 1994, 1999, and 2004.