Turmoil and a suspended parliament

A DECADE on from the Arab Spring revolution, new civil unrest has emerged in Tunisia in response to accusations of police violence and the government’s handling of the Covid19 pandemic.

At the weekend, President Kais Saied fired the country’s prime minister, Hichem Mechichi, among others and suspended parliament for 30 days.

Saied said he was following the constitution, which allows the president to take on emergency powers, adding that the move was justified, “in order to preserve the integrity of the country, the country’s security and independence, and to ensure the normal functioning of the state’s wheels”.

The presidency said that Defence Minister Ibrahim Bartagi and Acting Justice Minister Hasna Ben Slimane were also relieved of their posts.

According to Arabic news company Asharq News, Saied said on Facebook Live that the situation in the country had reached an “unacceptable level” and he called on people to remain calm and not respond to provocation.

“I do not want a single drop of blood to be shed, and the law applies to everyone. What happened was not a coup, but rather an implementation of the constitution, which gave the president the right to take the necessary measures to confront any imminent danger. The state institutions cannot continue as they are, and we do not touch the sanctity of anyone’s freedom,” he said.

A surge of Covid-19 infections in the country, and long-standing public frustration of government decisions led thousands of Tunisians to protest.

Tunisia with a population of 11.7million, has recorded more than 578000 cases and 19000 deaths.

This week, Saied ordered a monthlong nationwide curfew from 7pm to 6am, and a ban on gatherings of more than three people in public places. Tunisians are restricted from moving between cities outside of curfew times except for basic needs or for health reasons.

Saied also issued a presidential decree establishing an operations room to manage the Covid-19 cases. It will be co-ordinated by representatives from the ministries of health, defence, interior and foreign affairs. Its tasks would include the strategic stockpile of pandemic-fighting supplies such as pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, and monitoring the implementation of the national strategy for vaccination.

The chairperson of the AU Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, said the bloc was monitoring the situation.

“The chairperson expressed the commitment of the African Union Commission to the strict respect of the Tunisian constitution, the necessary maintenance of peace, the rejection of all forms of violence and the promotion of political dialogue to resolve the problems at hand, and the need to respond to the legitimate aspirations of the Tunisian people, especially its youth,” said Mahamat.

Tunisia was the only success story to come out of the Arab Spring anti-government protests and armed rebellions in many Arab countries in 2010-2011. The movement toppled dictators in some countries, but Tunisia emerged peacefully with a new democracy.

The first demonstrations took place in December 2010.

In an attempt to end the unrest, the Tunisian government used violence against demonstrations, however, protests overwhelmed security forces and compelled dictator President Zine el-abidine Ben Ali to step down and flee the country in January 2011.

Later, the country had free elections and a democratically chosen president and prime minister took office in December and a new constitution was promulgated in January 2014.

International media dubbed the movement the “Jasmine Revolution” after Tunisia’s national flower. |