TUNIS (EJP) --- European Parliament President Martin Schulz embarked on an official two-day visit to Tunisia Tuesday to reiterate the chamber’s support for the country’s continuing democratic transition in the wake of last year’s popular uprisings which overthrew longtime authoritarian leader Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali.

The tour will see the president meet with Tunisian Premier Hamadi Jebali, following the Prime Minister’s own trip to Brussels in October, the second since his election last year, which saw him fend off questioning from the parliamentary foreign affairs committee about Tunisia’s official response to September’s violent demonstrations following the release of Islamophobic film The Innocence of Muslims.

Slamming the attacks, he insisted that the “Tunisian people were united in rejecting this behaviour”, which he called an affront to his government’s efforts to create “an open and modern society which believes in dialogue and not in violent oppression”.

Describing the continuing process of democratisation in the country “a historic process”, in light of delayed work on its new constitution, which had been due for completion by the end of October, he said that whilst “the main pillars of the former regime desperately need to be to reformed, it’s not a good idea to replace the whole system, (rather) to enshrine the independence of the judiciary and the democratic nature of the security services”.

He also sought to alleviate concerns about the perceived Islamicisation of Arab states in light of last year’s popular uprisings, which has also seen an Islamist President elected in Egypt, a fellow former secular state. Committing to pursuing democracy as an antidote to theocracy, he said this government sought to “serve citizens and ensure the equality of all regardless of their origin or religion, including gender equality”.

Also Tuesday, Schulz is due to meet with Mustapha Ben Jaafar, the President of the National Constituent Assembly (ANC), as well as the leaders of the chamber’s political groups and the official opposition, as well as conducting a round table meeting with members of civil society and the media.

The second day of his visit will see him meet with Tunisia President Moncef Marzouki, as well as legal, political and social sciences students from the capital.