What is happening in Tunisia
All the news on the institutional situation in Tunisia. Il punto dell'Agi , the press agency headed by Mario Sechi
There is high tension in Tunis after the coup of the president, Kais Saied, who has assumed executive power. His supporters clashed with those of the Islamist Ennahda party in front of the Parliament of Tunis, which was surrounded by the armed forces after Saied, on Sunday evening, ordered it to be frozen for 30 days. Saied's move, which removed the prime minister, Hichem Mechichi, came at the end of a day of demonstrations against Mechichi and Ennahda, accused of mishandling the Covid-19 epidemic and failing to revive the country from the economic crisis. The President of the Parliament, Rached Ghannouchi, also participated in the sit-in of Ennahda in front of the Parliament, who was prevented from entering the building. Ghannouchi, also removed from Saied yesterday, accused the president of having perpetrated a coup d'etat "against the revolution and the Constitution".
Previously, Tunisian President Saied had announced the suspension of Parliament for 30 days and the dismissal of Prime Minister Mechichi, after popular protests against the political system. But he specifies that "this is not a coup d'état". The army also prevented Assembly President Rached Ghannouchi from entering Parliament. Saied, who was greeted in the night by the cheering crowd, recalls having acted "in the name of Article 80 of the Constitution". The Prime Minister of Tunisia, Hichem Mechichi, is not currently under arrest in the Carthage palace after the removal of President Kais Saied last night, contrary to what was initially stated by voices and political leaders, including the former prime minister and current vice president of the Islamic Ennahda party, Ali Larayedh. This was stated – according to the Italian news agency Nova – by the Qatari television broadcaster “Al Jazeera” on its Facebook page, citing “well-informed Tunisian sources”. According to the broadcaster, Mechichi is currently at his home, he is not under arrest, and he intends to call the Council of Ministers for a meeting anyway. Last night, Saied decided to relieve Prime Minister Mechichi from office and freeze the work and powers of the Assembly of People's Representatives (ARP, the country's parliament) for a period of 30 days. Furthermore, the head of state has established the waiver of parliamentary immunity for all members of the ARP and assumed executive authority, in order to "assist" a government led by a new prime minister, who will be appointed by himself.
The Tunisian security forces "have closed down" the al-Jazeera office in Tunizsia This was reported by the news site Tunisie Numerique. Journalists and satellite TV employees were asked to leave the newsroom, Tunis channel director Lofti Hajji said. According to the al-Jazeera website, at least 20 plainclothes policemen entered the offices in Tunis this morning, asking the staff to leave. "We had not received any warnings from the security forces regarding the eviction of our office," Hajji said in statements released by al-Jazeera. Journalists cited by the Qatari-based broadcaster reported having received orders to turn off phones and not having had the opportunity to collect their belongings.
( Start Magazine editorial staff )
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THE POINT OF THE AGI:
The Covid-19 pandemic plunges Tunisia into chaos: thousands have taken to the streets against the government, President Kais Saied has imposed the resignation of the premier, Hicham Mechichi, and has frozen Parliament for 30 days. The management of the economy and the epidemic are under fire.
There have been clashes and arrests but a part of the political class denounces the coup: "It is a coup against the revolution," accused the moderate Islamist party Ennahda.
Despite the curfew, imposed between 20:00 local time and 5:00, and the restrictions of the health emergency that prohibit any kind of public demonstration, the capital experienced a festive atmosphere during the night: thousands of cars and ordinary citizens they celebrated under the gaze of the police until late at night.
At one point, the president also joined the demonstrators. For several days, appeals to take to the streets have been circulating on Facebook, by unidentified groups: the ruling parties and in particular the Islamist Ennahda formation, whose offices had been targeted, were contested. The demonstrators demanded a change to the constitution and a transition period run by the army, while retaining Saied as head of state.
This morning the army that is presiding over the building where the Tunisian Parliament is located has denied access to the Speaker, Rached Ghannouchi, who presented himself at the entrance accompanied by the Vice President, Samira Chaouachi, the former Minister of Justice Noureddine Bhiri and the deputies of the Islamist parties Ennahdha and Al Karama.
Ghannouchi accused the president of having carried out a "coup against the revolution and the Constitution" and called on the people to "defend the revolution".
The rumors of a plan to overthrow the Tunisian government and give the president, Kais Saied, full control of the institutions date back to last May.
On May 24, the Middle East Eye specialized portal had come into possession of a document dated May 13 and labeled as "absolutely top secret" which contained in detail the plan with which Saied, an independent with no party behind him, intended to take power , applying Chapter 80 of the Constitution, which allows him to take power in the event of a national emergency.
Tunisia began its democratic transition in 2011 with the so-called "Jasmine Revolution", which put an end to two decades of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali's dictatorship: in ten years there have been a total of ten governments that have further aggravated the situation economic and social crisis.
Saied promised to heal the complex political system deteriorated by corruption. The last election had produced a parliament in which no party held more than a quarter of the seats.
Now the pandemic has precipitated the situation. Cases have risen sharply in recent weeks, putting further pressure on the already faltering economy. The premier had sacked the minister of health last week, but this obviously was not enough to calm the anger.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/che-cosa-sta-succedendo-in-tunisia/ on Mon, 26 Jul 2021 09:44:35 +0000.