When Tunisian Prime Minister Hedi Nouira visits Washington in the final days of November, issues of human rights, American aid, and evolution toward a multiparty democracy are sure to arise.

Both constitutionally and politically Nouira is Tunisia's crown prince—the designated successor of ailing Habib Bourguiba, "president for life" of this Mediterranean country of six million.

But the events of last January, which saw more than a hundred deaths and brought the imprisonment of Tunisia's powerful trade union movement leadership, have left a certain tension in their wake. Unemployment, rising expectations, and a growing alienation from the single-party regime—the Parti Socialiste Destourien (PSD)—are contributing to destabilization in Tunisia.