Most Tunisians support president’s power grab, claims poll, as more officials are sacked

TUNISIANS overwhelmingly support President Kais Saied’s power grab, according to a poll, despite opponents labelling his dramatic dismissal of the government as a coup. Some 87 per cent of respondents were in favour of Mr Saied’s decision to sack the cabinet, suspend parliament and lift parliamentary immunity after months of political crisis and surging Covid cases, with 3 per cent opposing it.

It came as Mr Saied sacked more officials, including the acting justice minister, military prosecutor and the head of state television, while also giving himself prosecutorial powers.

He has cracked down on corruption, accusing 460 businessmen of embezzlement and saying they owed 13.5billion dinars (£3.5billion) to the state.

The survey was conducted by Emrhod Consulting, a well-regarded North African market research and polling firm that provided accurate exit polls during the 2019 presidential election that brought Mr Saied to power.

But its results surprised commentators as Ennahda, the Islamist-leaning party most affected by Mr Saied’s decision, was thought to have the support of roughly a quarter of the population.

“I doubt it is a representative sample,” wrote Tunisian doctor and political analyst Zied Mhirsi on Twitter. “Yet Emrhod has a solid reputation. One other explanation could be that [Mr Saied] is appealing to conservatives and Ennahda is left with only those who have an ideological allegiance.”

Mr Saied’s firing of the government on Sunday prompted celebrations in the streets but was criticised as a “coup” by political opponents, some legal scholars and rights activists who warn the move could take Tunisia back to dictatorship.