A constitution was drafted, and elected by universal male suffrage. The official religion of the state was decided to be Islam, and the official language was Tunisian Arabic and French. All sorts of freedoms were guaranteed such as individual freedom, freedom of belief, and freedom of free speech, which appear to be at odds with future dictatorial regimes in Tunisia. The authority was concentrated in the hands of one party, namely the Neo- Destour, which was initially a national liberation movement. Policy-wise, the party was based on Bourguiba’s ideals, who was also “president of the council”. Many fields other than the political one were emphasised : state secretaries for information, youth, and sport “denoted the great importance which the government and the prime minister give to these matters”. Moreover, the Tunisian authorities regained total control and “complete responsibility” on internal security, and a “small national army” was formed. The reforms taken by the new regime had more modernist tendencies, by the supervision of the religious foundations by the civil administration. Polygamy was abolished as well, putting an emphasis on women’s right through the publication of the code of Personal Status, and by also allowing them to vote in the municipal elections of the year following the independence. One year after the independence, the most salient issue remaining was the Algerian war, as a threat to “a reconciliation of French and Tunisian interests”.