Tunsians march to support president's usurpation of power

TUNIS – Thousands of Tunisians attended demonstrations successful Tunis and different cities this play successful a amusement of enactment for President Kais Saied’s caller consolidation of powerfulness — a determination that his critics person dubbed a coup.

Thousands stood connected Tunis’ cardinal thoroughfare Sunday waving the nation’s crimson emblem demanding pugnacious enactment against corruption, and chanting “The radical privation the dissolution of parliament!” One demonstrator wore a T-shirt emblazoned with “We are Kais Saied." Another held a motion that work “You are not unsocial Mr. President, we are with you."

On July 25, pursuing nationwide anti-government protests, Saied abruptly dismissed his premier minister, assumed each enforcement powers and froze parliament successful the North African nation.

While law lawyers and governmental opponents including the influential Islamist enactment accidental his actions are unlawful, the determination has proven wide fashionable with the Tunisian public. It followed a agelong play of governmental and economical situation for Tunisia that was exacerbated by the interaction of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ad

On Sept. 22, Saied followed up connected his "exceptional measures" with the announcement of a caller law order, efficaciously suspending portion of the country’s 2014 constitution and transferring sweeping legislative powers to the president, giving him the close to regularisation by decree.

Thousands gathered for protests past play against that decision, notably from Islamist enactment Ennahdha, which has been sidelined by the president's moves. Human rights advocates and civilian nine organizations person openly condemned his actions, calling them a menace to Tunisia’s antiauthoritarian transition.

On Sunday, Tunisia’s authorities bureau TAP reported that a lawmaker and a tv big had been arrested implicit TV remarks captious to Saied, quoting lawyer Samir Ben Amor.

But the assemblage astatine Sunday’s objection was a satisfied and hopeful one.

“I came present to enactment the dissolution of the parliament, due to the fact that we are bushed of these corrupt politicians, these thieves,” demonstrator Intissar Slits, 45, told The Associated Press. “We are present to enactment our president, this is the volition of the people. The radical are bushed of being poor, bushed of being hungry, we are bushed of everything.”

Ad

Another demonstrator said the country’s 2014 constitution was a nonaccomplishment and did not correspond the wishes of the Tunisian people, lone those of a tiny radical of politicians.

Despite concerns astir the legitimacy of Saied's moves, demonstrator Sonia Belnasser said a instrumentality to authoritarian regularisation is intolerable for the Tunisian people.

“The Tunisian radical are present connected the thoroughfare supporting Kais Saied, the prof Kais Saied, the president Kais Saied, due to the fact that helium said nary to corruption. If 1 time helium becomes portion of the atrocious system, past each the radical volition crook against him” she said, adding that she was blessed with Saied’s assignment of Najla Bouden arsenic caput of authorities past week, the Arab world’s archetypal pistillate premier minister.

Protests were besides held successful respective cities, from the coastal municipality of Sfax to Sidi Bouzid successful the impoverished interior — the birthplace of Arab Spring uprisings. Tunisia was the lone state to look from that tumultuous clip with a antiauthoritarian government.

Ad

___

Bouazza ben Bouazza successful Tunis contributed.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.