The Tunisian President Keith Said fired the Minister of Defense on Monday (July 26). This was the day after the Prime Minister was dismissed and the Parliament suspended, putting the young democracy into a constitutional crisis during the pandemic.
On Monday, street clashes broke out outside the army-blocked parliament, after Said fired Prime Minister Hichem Mecic and ordered the parliament to close for 30 days. The largest party, the Baath Party, condemned the move as a “coup.
Mechichi stated that he will hand over power to those chosen by the president. This is his first comment since his shock.
Said announced on Sunday that he had held street protests in multiple cities to oppose the government’s handling of the Covid pandemic in this North African country. He “made the necessary decision to save Tunisia, the country and the people of Tunisia.”
The president who controls the armed forces under the constitution warned his opponents not to take up arms and threatened that if someone “fires a bullet, our army will respond with a rain of bullets.”
On Monday afternoon, the President announced the dismissal of Defense Secretary Ibrahim Baltaji and Acting Attorney General Hasna bin Slieman.
Earlier Monday, soldiers blocked a rally in Tunisia, while Said supporters threw stones, bottles and insults at supporters of Ennahdha inspired by Islamism, whose leaders were barred from entering the complex.
The army also surrounded Mechichi’s office.
In the late afternoon, the protests subsided, and the president extended the curfew to fight the coronavirus and banned gatherings of more than three people.
‘very dangerous’
Said’s dramatic move-ten years after the Tunisian revolution in 2011, is often considered the only success story of the Arab Spring-despite the constitutional provisions for parliamentary democracy.
This is “a coup d’etat against the revolution and the constitution,” said Ennahdha, the leader of Tunisia’s irritable ruling coalition, and warned its members “will defend the revolution.”
The powerful Tunisian General Trade Union (UGTT) played a key role in the 2011 uprising, stating that the president has acted “in accordance with” the constitution to “prevent imminent danger and restore the normal functioning of the country”.
The State Department said that US Secretary of State Anthony Brinken spoke with the President of Tunisia by telephone on Monday, asking him to respect democracy and “maintain an open dialogue with all political figures and the Tunisian people.”
The European Union calls on people to respect the “rule of law” and “avoid resort to violence,” while the former colonial ruler France urges the government to quickly resume “normal operations.”
Russia said it is monitoring the situation, while Turkey, whose government supports Ennahdha, called for the restoration of “democratic legitimacy”.
This crisis occurred after a deadlock between the President, Prime Minister and Ennahdha CEO Rached Ghannouchi. The deadlock weakened Covid’s response as the death toll has soared to one of the highest per capita rates in the world.
In a country of 12 million people, more than 18,000 people have died from the coronavirus.
The police also shut down the local branch of Al Jazeera TV in Qatar. Lotfi Hajji, the Tunisian director of the network, warned that “what is happening is very dangerous, which proves that press freedom is threatened.”
The media organization Reporters Without Borders condemned the move, and Amnesty International described it as a “deeply worrying precedent that shows that human rights are in danger”.
Said’s seizure of power sparked a cheering rally late Sunday, with supporters flooding the streets of Tunisia, waving national flags and sounding car horns as fireworks light up the sky.
“The Birth of a Dictator”
Since his election in 2019, Said has been in a showdown with Mechichi and Ghannouchi, who is also the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
This competition hinders the appointment of ministers and diverts resources to solve many economic and social problems in Tunisia.
Said stated that he will take over the executive power “with” the help of the government, and he will appoint his new chief.
Analysts said that it is not yet clear what will happen next. “We are in the unknown,” said Michael Ayari of the International Crisis Group.
In the 10 years since the Tunisian People’s Revolution overthrew the dictator Ben Ali, Tunisia has had nine governments.
Some lasted only a few months, hindering the reforms needed to improve the country’s troubled economy and poor public services.
Sunday’s drama began with a massive protest against the government’s failure to respond to the pandemic.
A senior Ennahdha official who asked not to be named told AFP that the protests and subsequent celebrations were orchestrated by Said.
After Said announced the news, a cheerful supporter Najera praised the president’s “brave decision.”
But a man in his forties watched without enthusiasm.
“These fools are celebrating the birth of a new dictator,” he said.
