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Mannheim – Tunisia’s president Kais Saied rejected on Friday accusations that he staged a coup, claiming his only concern is to salvage Tunisia’s constitution and ailing democracy. He said he would not turn into a dictator as two parliament members were arrested following his decision to lift their immunity.
On Sunday last week, President Saied ousted the government and froze the activities of parliament. Since his decision to assume more executive and judicial power, Saied has sacked the head of state television, purged over 25 senior officials, and even closed down the Al Jazeera office – dangerous actions in a democratic system.
President Saied has yet to appoint an interim prime minister and outline his plans to end his supposed short term emergency measures.
A former law professor, Saied maintains that he is well versed in Tunisia’s constitution and that he intends to uphold it. “I know the constitutional texts very well, respect them and taught them and after all this time I will not turn into a dictator as some have said,” he said.
Parliament member and outspoken blogger Yassin Ayari was arrested on Friday. The military judiciary said Ayari had been imprisoned three years ago for “defaming the army”. Ayari is a known critic of the military and government.
Another parliament member, Maher Zid, was also detained on Friday. He was arrested in 2018 for “offending people on social media and insulting the then president.”
On Monday this week,Ennahda, Tunisia’s most prominent islamist party, held a sit-in outside parliament after the army surrounded the compound. During the protest hundreds of Ennahda supporters clashed with pro-Saied Protesters protested as they demonstrated across from each other. Some threw stones and bottles.
Ennahda has been key to creating a coalition government since Tunisia’s 2011 revolution which brought an end to the country’s long dictatorship. Yet the widespread support for the president’s actions are prompted by the government’s mismanagement of the COVID-19 crisis, the country’s economic stagnation and frustration over political infighting.
Regional actors such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates, are celebrating Said’s latest actions as a victory over what they see as the threat of poltical Islam. However, most observers are anxiously watching Tunisia, and hoping that the events that are unraveling do not lead to another uprising or – worse yet – an end to the country’s nascent and fragile democracy.
