joining me from washington, rashid al-ghannouchi. he is a cofounder of the al-nahda movement. ghannouchi urged his own party to step down making room for an interim government and the drafting of a new constitution. the constitutions signed into law in january 26, and the elections will be held later this year. with a military cue in egypt and civil war in syria, tunisia is seen as the last glimmer of hope in the so-called arab spring. i am pleased, very pleased to have rashid al-ghannouchi on this program for the first time from washington. good evening, sir, and thank you for joining us. >> ( translated ): i welcome you, sir. >> rose: let me begin with three quotes about tunisia. first, what you have said in an interview with my friend lally weymouth. you said, "tunisia is the last candle still shining in the arab spring, despite all the winds that are blowing at it." also you said in a speech today in washington, "the tunisian model, which has proven to this whole world that democracy is a dream that can be realize realized in the muslim world and around the whole world as w