Arab Spring not finished, Tunisia says

UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 27 (UPI) -- Hopes for democracy across much of the Middle East are still on track despite the slow forward momentum, the Tunisian president said.

A protest suicide in Tunisia in December 2010 sparked a series of political uprisings dubbed the Arab Spring. Tunisia's revolution unseated long-time leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, though the country has struggled to consolidate political gains made since 2010.

Tunisian President Mohamed Moncef Marzouki told delegates gathered for the 68th session of the U.N. General Assembly the road to democracy is long.

"What is being witnessed in some Arab Spring countries may lead some to believe that the liberation project has failed and that the dream has turned into a nightmare," he said in his Thursday address.

Tunisia's uprising spilled over to Libya, Yemen, Egypt and Syria. All but Syria witnessed regime change though most of the countries in the region have witnessed instability.

Marzouki said it may take a considerable amount of time for the full-fledged democracy to take hold in the region.

"What we must remember is that this Arab Spring is not a final stage, to be achieved overnight, rather it is a road just beginning and looking to further horizons," he said.