Opponents of Tunisian President Keith Said on Tuesday (December 14) lashed out at his decision to extend the months-long recess of the parliament, accusing him of another blow to the country’s nascent democracy.
Said vowed on Monday to continue reforming Tunisia’s political system. A few months later he fired the government, froze the legislature and gained extensive executive power.
The former law professor announced an 11-week “universal consultation” to develop a “constitution and other reform drafts” before the referendum on July 25 next year.
This will mark the year he seized power when the North African country fell into a political and economic crisis exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
Said began to rule by decree in October, which intensified concerns about the only democracy that emerged in the Arab uprising of 2011.
He said on Monday that the parliament will continue to be suspended until new elections are held on December 17, which is the anniversary of the beginning of a revolution that ousted the dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
This further isolated his mortal enemy, the Islamist-inspired Baath Party, which has played a central role in Tunisian politics since the fall of Ben Ali.
Many Tunisians are tired of what is seen as a dysfunctional and corrupt system and welcome Said’s move, but he is also facing increasing opposition from domestic demonstrations and pressure from abroad.
However, Washington responded positively to Said’s statement.
“We welcome the timetable announced by President Said, outlining the path of political reforms and parliamentary elections, and look forward to a transparent reform process that embraces different political and civil society voices,” said State Department spokesperson Ned Price.
Special envoys from the Group of Seven and the European Union urged Tunisia on Friday to set a timetable for the restoration of democracy.
‘I am a country’
On Tuesday, political analyst Slaheddine Jourchi stated that Said was “determined to push his political plan to the end”.
Opponents accused Said of trying to expand his one-man rule and unilaterally rebuild the political system.
Noureddine Taboubi, chairman of the powerful UGTT union, criticized the lack of a vision to solve the country’s pressing social and economic difficulties.
“When can we discuss the constitution? People today are empty stomachs and getting poorer,” he told reporters in the industrial center of Sfax.
In his speech to union members, he said that the union supported Said’s move on July 25, but “we did not give (him) a blank check.”
However, some people in Tunisia welcomed Said’s latest move.
The 37-year-old teacher Nizar ben Ahmida emphasized the importance of announcing the timetable.
But he said that the president’s speech lacked details about “employment, poverty, marginalization and prosecution of those who committed crimes against this country”.
Nidal, a Tunisian resident, said the election date is too far away.
“(Sayed) is buying time. He wants to realize his idea,” said the 35-year-old.
‘Object of mockery’
Said stated that consultations on constitutional reforms will be launched on January 1. These proposals will then be reviewed by a committee of experts appointed by the president before being submitted to a referendum.
But former Ennahdha MP Samir Dilou said the idea would “make Tunisia a target of ridicule”.
“Sayed’s speech reflects the state of denial in his life and his refusal to listen to anyone’s opinions,” Dilu told Asaba Daily.
Analyst Jourchi said that developments will depend on the public’s response.
“The streets are not at ease. The economic situation is a concern of the Tunisian public,” he said.
Tunisia is facing rising public debt, inflation, an unemployment rate of 18%, and a deadlock in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for the fourth aid since the revolution.
But the 63-year-old president’s focus remains firmly on reshaping the political system and combating opponents he accuses of corruption—mainly Ennahdha.
After seizing control of the judiciary in July, he urged judges to investigate alleged foreign funding activities during the 2019 parliamentary elections.
In Tunisia today, Jourchi said, “The biggest problem is that he continues to rule by decree. His political conflict with his opponent will escalate and tensions will continue to exist.”
