TUNIS, July 26 (Xinhua) -- The Tunisians celebrated on Tuesday the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Tunisia, which was proclaimed in the Republic Act passing through the parliament on July 25, 1957.
Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi handed over the Order of the Republic, the highest decoration of the Tunisian Republic, to former Prime Minister Habib Essid, who is considered the first head of government following the adoption of the new constitution in early 2014.
Essebsi also decided to pardon 1,583 prisoners, of whom 412 will be released, according to the Tunisian presidency.
Earlier in the day, the Tunisian president inaugurated "the Square of the Martyr" in tribute to Mohamed Brahmi, the founder and former leader of the People's Movement, who was assasinated on July 25, 2013.
"This tribute proves that Tunisia will always recognize the sacrifices of its martyrs especially since it is a strong message to future generations," said Essebsi at the ceremony attended by the family of Brahmi and Mohamed Ennaceur, the president of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People.
The 60th anniversary is the starting point for a second republic "based on a new constitution that separates powers and gives birth to a new political regime that will never be spared from certain handicaps," said Nizar Makni, a Tunisian political analyst.
"This new republic will opt for a more open and participative approach of all components, in the total respect of the sovereignty," he added.
For other observers, the Tunisian Republic's Day is an important occasion to gauge the economic, political and social progress of the country since its independence in March 1956.
"The 2011 revolution has redistributed the roles of the Tunisian intellectual elite to better adapt to the aspirations of the people," said Monia Arfaoui, a political analyst in Tunisia.
Arfaoui said the presidency has regained its role as the guarantor of the supremacy of law and the loyalty to the constitution.
This National Day appeals to all Tunisians because it represents the abolition of the monarchy in the country, with Habib Bourguiba serving as the first president of the republic, the Tunisian expert said.
