Tunisia Unveils Draft Constitution On Wide-Ranging Powers

Tunisian President Kais Saied has published a draft constitution that will be put to a referendum on July 25 and gives broad powers to the head of state.

The text, published in the Official Gazette, confirms the expected presidentialization of the regime by stipulating that the “President of the Republic exercises executive power, assisted by a government led by a head of government” whom he appoints.

The president, according to the published draft, will also enjoy wide-ranging prerogatives: he is the supreme commander of the armed forces, defines the general policy of the state and approves laws. He can also submit legislation to parliament, “which must examine it as a matter of priority.

In addition to significantly reducing the role and power of Parliament, the text also provides for the establishment of a second chamber, the “National Assembly of Regions.

The draft constitution also makes no mention of Islam as the “state religion”, as Sadok Belaïd, the lawyer who headed the committee responsible for drafting the text, had already announced on June 6.

This omission aims to combat Islamist-inspired parties such as Ennahdha, President Saied’s bête noire.

The draft constitution guarantees “individual and public rights and freedoms” and states that men and women are “equal in rights and duties. It further stipulates that the right to “peaceful assembly and demonstration are guaranteed.”

The new constitution is to replace the 2014 constitution, which had established a hybrid system that was a source of recurring conflict between the executive and legislative branches and marks a radical break with the existing parliamentary system.