Politicians and experts have expressed concern about the situation in Tunisia a day after President Kais Saied said that he would be indefinitely extending his sole control of the government.
Although Mr Saied enjoys considerable public support, many politicians are concerned about the lack of checks on the president’s power and where such an extension may lead.
For the first time in the history of Tunisia, a legal and constitutional vacuum has occurred in this way
Former cabinet director Reda Belhaj
Ennahda, the largest party in Tunisia’s Parliament, issued a statement of concern following Tuesday's announcement. It called for Mr Saied to “return to the democratic path” and affirmed “the adoption of dialogue as the only way to solve various problems”.
Since taking his exceptional measures on July 25, Mr Saied has become increasingly isolated. He has refused to meet with political parties and civil society organisations, regardless of whether they support his actions.
Monica Marks,an assistant professor of Middle East politics at NYU Abu Dhabi and a close watcher of Tunisia, says Mr Saied’s refusal to incorporate the country’s robust civil society into his decision-making process is only one concern in “a parade of red flags”.
“They point to a president who is not dialoguing, who is not inclusive,” she said.
In July, Mr Saied invoked an article in the constitution that gives the president exceptional powers in times of “imminent danger”.
The initial 30-day exceptional period ended on Tuesday, but without a constitutional court to review the decision, he extended it.
In a meeting with the minister of trade and export development, a video of which was published on the presidency Facebook page on Tuesday, Mr Saied defended his actions.
“Regarding the exceptional measures, they have been extended because of the imminent danger. It is a persistent danger. The existing political institutions, as they used to function, are a persistent threat to the state. The parliament itself is a threat to the state,” he said.
Sources close to the palace say it is possible he will extend his sole control of the government until the next election, scheduled for 2024.
Ridha Belhadj, the former Cabinet director under President Beji Caied Essebsi, told Shems FM that the extension was a complete departure from the constitution.
“For the first time in the history of Tunisia, a legal and constitutional vacuum has occurred in this way,” he said.
Many who support Mr Saied’s vision for the country still have concerns.
Lassaad Yacoubi, the Secretary General of Education for the powerful Tunisian General Labour Union, which supported Mr Saied’s consolidation early on, told state radio Wednesday he supports the president’s vision for political reform.
“I would be happy if the parliament were dissolved, if the constitution were suspended, if a new government composed of socially rooted non-technocrats who don’t belong to the previous order” were put in place, he said.
But Mr Yacoubi said he wants new elections to be held, and for them to include parties, a departure from Mr Saied who rejects the idea of parties.
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Sustainable Development Goals
1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere
2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all
8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all
9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation
10. Reduce inequality within and among countries
11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects
14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss
16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
CHATGPT%20ENTERPRISE%20FEATURES
%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Enterprise-grade%20security%20and%20privacy%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Unlimited%20higher-speed%20GPT-4%20access%20with%20no%20caps%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Longer%20context%20windows%20for%20processing%20longer%20inputs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Advanced%20data%20analysis%20capabilities%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Customisation%20options%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Shareable%20chat%20templates%20that%20companies%20can%20use%20to%20collaborate%20and%20build%20common%20workflows%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Analytics%20dashboard%20for%20usage%20insights%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%E2%80%A2%20Free%20credits%20to%20use%20OpenAI%20APIs%20to%20extend%20OpenAI%20into%20a%20fully-custom%20solution%20for%20enterprises%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EElmawkaa%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hub71%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ebrahem%20Anwar%2C%20Mahmoud%20Habib%20and%20Mohamed%20Thabet%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PropTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%24400%2C000%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E500%20Startups%2C%20Flat6Labs%20and%20angel%20investors%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
The five pillars of Islam
