Ghannouchi calls on Tunisian people to defend democracy
President Kais Saied continues to dismiss officials and push Tunisia to its limits as opposition leader Rached Ghannouchi calls on the Tunisian people to defend their democracy
TUNISIA’S Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi, in an interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP), has called for a return to democracy after President Kais Saied’s shocking power grab on the weekend, suspending the parliament and firing Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi.
Ghannouchi, also the head of one of the leading parties in parliament, Ennahdha, voiced regret about the lack of dialogue with the presidency, and warned that if no agreement is reached on the formation of a government and the reopening of the legislature, “we will invite the Tunisian people to defend their democracy.”
“There is no dialogue today with the president nor with his advisers. But we think we need a national dialogue,” Ghannouchi said, “We are trying to use all peaceful means – dialogue, negotiations, street pressure, pressure from organizations ... internal and external pressure – to bring back democracy.”
Asked if he would be ready to negotiate with the president after he was accused of staging the coup, Ghannouchi asserted that he and his party are ready to “make all concessions so that democracy can return to Tunisia.”
“The Tunisian constitution is more important than our staying in power. We are always ready for all concessions in the context of a return to democracy, and not the imposition of dictatorship and a coup d’etat.”
TUNISIA’S Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi, in an interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP), has called for a return to democracy after President Kais Saied’s shocking power grab on the weekend, suspending the parliament and firing Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi.
Ghannouchi, also the leader of one of the leading parties in parliament, Ennahdha, voiced regret about the lack of dialogue with the presidency, and warned that if no agreement is reached on the formation of a government and the reopening of the legislature, “we will invite the Tunisian people to defend their democracy.”
“There is no dialogue today with the president nor with his advisers. But we think we need a national dialogue,” Ghannouchi said, “We are trying to use all peaceful means – dialogue, negotiations, street pressure, pressure from organizations ... internal and external pressure – to bring back democracy.”
Asked if he would be ready to negotiate with the president after he was accused of staging the coup, Ghannouchi asserted that he and his party are ready to “make all concessions so that democracy can return to Tunisia.”
“The Tunisian constitution is more important than our staying in power. We are always ready for all concessions in the context of a return to democracy, and not the imposition of dictatorship and a coup d’etat.”
Ghannouchi said Saied used the absence of a constitutional court to monopolize the interpretation of the constitution and to “make himself the
constitutional court,” and blamed parliament for not managing to establish a constitutional court.
“That’s an error in which we all bear a part of the responsibility,” Ghannouchi said.
“Since the start, we have called on the people to fight the coup d’etat with all peaceful means, and this resistance will continue with peaceful means,” he added. “If there is no agreement on the return of parliament, on the formation of a government and its presentation to parliament, the Tunisian street will undoubtedly mobilize, and we will invite the Tunisian people to defend their democracy.”
As the birthplace of the Arab Spring, Tunisia was considered the only example of democratic success in the Arab protest wave of 2011, when the administration handed over its achievements in the field of fundamental rights and freedoms through elections to its successors.
But Tunisia has not been able to achieve political stability and, therefore, economic stability during the turbulent transition it entered after the Arab Spring. More than 10 governments have taken office in the country in the last 10 years. The revolution failed to
meet its promises, such as employment opportunities, and the economic situation for ordinary Tunisians became more complicated every day due to the global storm caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
During Republic Day on July 25, there were mass protests in Tunisia against the political atmosphere throughout the country, and attacks were carried out on the headquarters of some political parties.
Saied said he would use “extraordinary constitutional powers” to “prevent the country from being dragged into civil war” after meeting with the security bureaucracy and military commanders earlier in the evening. He announced that he had dismissed the prime minister, suspended parliament for 30 days and would appoint a new prime minister and assume executive authority.
Ghannouchi, who was accompanied by deputies, was barred from entering parliament by the country’s military. He called on the people to peacefully protest Saied’s decisions and labeled them a “coup,” which has no legal basis.
In the following days, Saied ousted defense and justice ministers from their post and sacked several top officials, including the army’s chief prosecutor. On
Wednesday, the CEO of national television channel Wataniya found himself kicked out of office.
In addition, Saied has lifted parliamentary immunity from legislators and taken judicial powers into his hands. He also ordered an investigation into the three largest political parties in parliament, including Ennahdha. The probe claimed that all three parties received foreign funds ahead of the 2019 elections.
Saied is a former professor of constitutional law and was among a delegation of experts studying the Tunisian constitution, which was adopted in 2014 following the Arab Spring. He entered the race as an independent candidate in the 2019 presidential election and managed to qualify for the runoff. In 2019, with his unusual campaign benefiting from that time’s popular “revolution” theme, he won a landslide victory in the second round of popular elections.
The Ennahdha Movement won the parliamentary elections held simultaneously with the presidential election in 2019. It took the first position with 52 lawmakers in the 217-seat parliament but failed to gain a majority that could form the government alone. Tunisia has experienced many episodes of political wrangling within parliament since 2019. The technocrat cabinet of Prime Minister Mechichi, appointed by Saied in July 2020 as the third prime minister in the last two years, took office in parliament with the support of parties such as Ennahdha and the Heart of Tunisia party.
However, the rift between Saied and Mechichi has become open to public opinion. Saied argued in February that Mechichi’s cabinet overhaul was not constitutional. Despite this, parliament gave the cabinet a vote of confidence.
As this disintegration within the state and politics deepened, Tunisia continued to grapple with crises made difficult by the severe economic and health conditions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.