Congress for the Republic collective rights. The CPR called for renegotiating Tunisian commitments toward the European Union, for Tunisia to support the rights of national self-determination, in particular for the Palestinian people. It was ideologically heterogeneous, including social democrats, Arab nationalists, far-leftists, as well as Islamists. The unifiying point was their firm opposition to the regime of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. In 2002, during the Ben Ali presidency, the CPR was banned. Its leader Marzouki went into exile in Paris. However, the party continued a "de facto" existence, being run from France until 2011. Following the ouster of President Ben Ali in
Rached Ghannouchi was again released in 1988. He moved to the United Kingdom as a political exile, where he lived for 22 years. He attended The Islamic Committee for Palestine conference in Chicago in 1989. Following the 1990 invasion of Kuwait, Al-Ghannushi denounced King Fahd of Saudi Arabia for the "colossal crime" of inviting the U.S. to deploy forces. He also called for a Muslim boycott of American goods, planes and ships. He has also been criticized for calling for jihad against Israel. Ghannouchi continued to criticise Tunisian politics and the regime of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. Following popular unrest