Ambiguity prevails in the Tunisian political scene after President Kais Saied suspended the parliament.
Among the most daring steps announced by Tunisian President Kais Saied, in addition to the dismissal of the government and the suspension of parliament, was the lift of the Parliamentary immunity of the deputies and issued the presidency of the Public Prosecution Office to initiate lawsuits against a number of them involved mainly in corruption cases. The leap of faith taken by the Tunisian president Kais Saied is creating a new turning point in the path of political transition that began in Tunisia during the fall of the rule of the late President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011. This path underwent many bumps, including two political assassinations in 2013, terrorist attacks, and frequent social unrest against poverty and unemployment, in addition to massive waves of illegal immigration across the sea that led to the death of many Tunisian youngsters along the southern European coast. These factors contributed immensely to the boiling of the 25th of July presidential decisions issued by president Saied. On the 25th of July, president Said relied on the content of Article 80 of the Constitution, which allows him to take exceptional measures in specific situations, benefiting from the protests and riots that swept several Tunisian cities on Sunday 25th. Although many of the general public took Kais Saied’s side and supported his decisions, the parliament said that the president’s decisions are unconstitutional because the dismissal also requires the continuation of the parliament’s work and does not authorize the dismissal of the government. The Tunisian presidency said that the measures announced by Saied will last for a month and so since that period has been extended to another month until all those that are involved with corruption cases are dealt with. Fast-forward today, although some of the Tunisian population opposed Kais Saied’s decisions. It seems that most political factions that were impacted by the president’s actions on the 25th of July are gradually submitting to his role as the decision-maker and somewhat coming to an agreement on to his terms. As of recently, Tunisian President Kais Saied appointed the engineer Najla Bouden Ramadan as prime minister, becoming the first woman to hold this position in the history of Tunisia, and asked her to make her government’s priority to fight corruption while the parliament remains suspended.
Badwi Haggui