Ben Ali, Zine el Abidine 1936- . Tunisian
politician, president from 1987. After
training in France and the USA, he returned
to Tunisia and became director-general of
national security. He was made minister of
the interior and then prime minister under
the ageing president for life, Habib
Bourguiba , whom he deposed in 1987 by a
bloodless coup with the aid of ministerial
colleagues. He assumed the presidency,
promising greater democracy through
constitutional reform.