Tunisia’s President Extends Suspension Of Parliament

Tunisian President Kais Saied has extended “until further notice” the suspension of parliament, which has been suspended since the July 25 coup that gave Saied full power.

On July 25, Saied invoked the constitution to grant himself full powers, dismiss the head of government, Hichem Mechichi, and suspend parliament for 30 days.

On Monday evening Saied “issued a presidential decree extending the exceptional measures concerning the suspension of the activities of the parliament as well as the lifting of the immunity of all deputies until further notice.

In addition to the extension of the suspension of parliamentary activities, analysts expected the president to announce new measures to reassure public opinion and the international community but this was not the case.

Since the coup, President Said has yet to name a new government or unveil a “roadmap”, as requested by several political parties and civil society organizations.

On July 25, Mr. Saied had announced that he was taking over the executive branch, with “the help of the government” to be led by a new leader appointed by him.

His decision was denounced as a “coup d’état” by some jurists and his opponents, in particular the Islamist-inspired party Ennahdha, the main parliamentary force in the country, which has been plagued by political deadlocks for months.

In the face of these accusations, Saied regularly repeats that he acts strictly “within the framework of the law” and of the Constitution adopted in 2014.