03/30/2022 21:51 (act 03/30/2022 21:51)
President Saied in power struggle with Parliament ©APA/AFP/POOL
In Tunisia, parliament met for the first time since President Kaïs Saïed was deposed and revoked the reorganization of the state decreed by the head of state. In an online session on Wednesday, some 120 lawmakers rejected the “extraordinary measures” that Saïed has taken since July last year to nullify the 2014 democratic constitution and governs alone. The President then announced on television that he would dissolve Parliament.
Saïed warned on Monday that the Armed Forces would act against “those who pushed Tunisians into the fight”. Observers did not assume that the parliamentary decision would weaken the president’s position. “We are not afraid to defend a legitimate institution,” said lawmaker Jamina Soglami of the moderate Islamist Ennahda party. “The people have not withdrawn their trust in us. The president closed parliament with a tank.” Ennahda is the largest party in Parliament, with a quarter of the seats. According to the local press, after the virtual session, the Minister of Justice initiated proceedings against the deputies on the charge of “conspiracy against the security of the State”.
Constitutional law professor Saïed was elected president in a landslide victory in 2019 on a pledge to crack down on corruption. Since Parliament was overthrown, it has ruled by decree. He justifies his actions with the need to break a political and economic standstill in Tunisia and control the coronavirus pandemic. His opponents accuse him of a coup and fear for the democratic gains they made with the 2011 revolution.