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| Tunisian president OUSTS government, warns opponents that ‘army will respond with bullets’ if they try to unleash street violence | Tunisian president OUSTS government, warns opponents that ‘army will respond with bullets’ if they try to unleash street violence |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Tunisia’s president dismissed the government and froze parliament amid unrest over the “dysfunctional” political system and crumbling healthcare. His opponents decried the move as a “coup” and called for street protests. | Tunisia’s president dismissed the government and froze parliament amid unrest over the “dysfunctional” political system and crumbling healthcare. His opponents decried the move as a “coup” and called for street protests. |
| Following an emergency meeting at his palace on Sunday night, President Kais Saied announced his decision to sack Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and suspend the parliament. In a televised address, he promised to consolidate power and “save” the country with the help of a new prime minister. | Following an emergency meeting at his palace on Sunday night, President Kais Saied announced his decision to sack Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi and suspend the parliament. In a televised address, he promised to consolidate power and “save” the country with the help of a new prime minister. |
| Hundreds of people who had rallied against the government earlier in the day celebrated the drastic move in the streets, cheering, honking, and singing, as military vehicles surrounded the parliament building and state TV. | Hundreds of people who had rallied against the government earlier in the day celebrated the drastic move in the streets, cheering, honking, and singing, as military vehicles surrounded the parliament building and state TV. |
| The parliament speaker and leader of the Muslim Brotherhood-inspired ‘moderate’ Islamist Ennahda party, Rached Ghannouchi, defied the order but was blocked from entering the parliament. | The parliament speaker and leader of the Muslim Brotherhood-inspired ‘moderate’ Islamist Ennahda party, Rached Ghannouchi, defied the order but was blocked from entering the parliament. |
| Ghannouchi denounced Saied’s move as “a coup against the revolution and constitution,” and called for street protests in a video message to supporters. | Ghannouchi denounced Saied’s move as “a coup against the revolution and constitution,” and called for street protests in a video message to supporters. |
| Saied, however, warned his political opponents against unleashing street violence, saying that the military won’t hesitate to use guns to quell unrest if it turns deadly. | Saied, however, warned his political opponents against unleashing street violence, saying that the military won’t hesitate to use guns to quell unrest if it turns deadly. |
| Under the constitution, the president is only directly responsible for military affairs and foreign relations, but last week, he put the army in charge of the Covid-19 pandemic response – after PM Mechichi sacked the health minister, blaming him for the collapse of the healthcare system. | Under the constitution, the president is only directly responsible for military affairs and foreign relations, but last week, he put the army in charge of the Covid-19 pandemic response – after PM Mechichi sacked the health minister, blaming him for the collapse of the healthcare system. |
| Praised as the cradle of the Arab Spring, Tunisia adopted a new constitution in 2014, but still has no constitutional court to settle disputes, and consistently fails to form a stable government. President Saied and the parliament were both elected by popular vote in 2019, while Mechichi took office last year. Ghannouchi’s Ennahda, which was banned before the 2011 uprising, has since become the dominant force in parliament, locked in constant political rivalry with the president and prime minister. | Praised as the cradle of the Arab Spring, Tunisia adopted a new constitution in 2014, but still has no constitutional court to settle disputes, and consistently fails to form a stable government. President Saied and the parliament were both elected by popular vote in 2019, while Mechichi took office last year. Ghannouchi’s Ennahda, which was banned before the 2011 uprising, has since become the dominant force in parliament, locked in constant political rivalry with the president and prime minister. |
| Angered by the “dysfunctional” political system and collapsing economy, thousands of protesters, not openly backed by any of the major political forces, once again rallied in the capital, Tunis and other cities on Sunday. | Angered by the “dysfunctional” political system and collapsing economy, thousands of protesters, not openly backed by any of the major political forces, once again rallied in the capital, Tunis and other cities on Sunday. |
| Clashes erupted amid the protests when people tried to storm the Ennahda party offices, forcing police to deploy tear gas. The violence was apparently the last straw for Saied, prompting him to take drastic measures. | Clashes erupted amid the protests when people tried to storm the Ennahda party offices, forcing police to deploy tear gas. The violence was apparently the last straw for Saied, prompting him to take drastic measures. |
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