Tunisian president sacks government, sparking jubilation in the streets | Tunisia

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Tunisia’s president, Kais Saied, suspended parliament and sacked Prime Minister Hicham al-Mashichi after a day of protests against the ruling party, bringing the country’s political crisis to its peak.

Cheerful crowds soon poured onto the streets of the capital, Tunis, after Said’s announcement on Sunday, celebrating and honking car horns in scenes reminiscent of the 2011 revolution that brought democracy and unleashed the Arab Spring protests that rocked the Middle East.

The cheering of the masses in Tunisia. Photo: Fethi Belaid/AFP/Getty Images

“We have excused them,” said Lamia Miftahi, a woman celebrating in the center of the Tunisian capital after Said’s statement, speaking for parliament and the government.

“This is the happiest moment since the revolution,” she added.

Military vehicles surrounded the parliament building late on Sunday evening, according to Reuters. Witnesses said that people gathered nearby chanted and sang the national anthem as vehicles appeared outside the building.

State television showed pictures of Said joining the crowds in the streets of the center of the Tunisian capital, in the early hours of Monday morning, to celebrate his decision to overthrow the government.

Tunisia: Crowds took to the streets in Tunis tonight to celebrate the president’s decision to dismiss the governor, dismiss the prime minister and freeze parliament.

major political upheavals. Islamist opposition calls it a “coup”, and reports of airport and border closures: pic.twitter.com/HSdsf1tKXU

– Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) July 25, 2021

However, the opposition immediately accused Saeed of carrying out a coup and called on its supporters to show their anger at the move.

In a video statement, Ghannouchi said people should take to the streets “like January 14, 2011,” Rached Ghannouchi, leader of the moderate Islamist Ennahda party and parliament speaker, said in reference to the start of the revolution that introduced democracy and launched the Arab Spring. .

He added, “We consider that the institutions are still in place, and the supporters of Ennahda and the Tunisian people will defend the revolution,” raising the possibility of confrontations between Ennahda supporters and Said.

It is not clear how much support Said’s moves against the fragile Mesheshi government and the divided parliament will be. Saeed warned of any backlash.

“I warn anyone who thinks of resorting to weapons … and whoever shoots a bullet, the armed forces will respond with bullets,” he said in a statement broadcast on television.

Earlier, thousands of Tunisians marched in several cities to protest the ruling party, which they accused of economic mismanagement, corruption and failure to prevent infection rates with the Corona virus.

Hundreds of protesters gathered in front of parliament in Tunis, chanting slogans against the Islamist-inspired ruling Ennahda party and Prime Minister Hicham Mechichi.

Protests were also reported in the towns of Gafsa, Kairouan, Monastir, Sousse and Tozeur.

“The people want to dissolve parliament,” the crowd chanted.

A number of protesters were arrested and a journalist was injured when protesters threw stones and police fired tear gas canisters.

Saeed said in his statement that his actions are in line with the constitution, and cited Article 80 to suspend the immunity of members of parliament.

“The constitution does not allow parliament to be dissolved, but it does allow its work to be suspended,” the president said, citing Article 80 that allows such a measure in case of “imminent danger.”

“Many people were deceived by hypocrisy, treachery and the theft of people’s rights,” he said.

Saeed said he would assume executive power “with the help” of a government headed by a new president appointed by the president himself.

Said, the independent with no party behind him, swore to reform a complex political system plagued by corruption. The recent elections created a fragmented room in which no party held more than a quarter of the seats.

Banned before the revolution, Ennahda has been the most consistently successful party since 2011 and a member of successive coalition governments.

Tunisia has had cases of Covid-19, including more than 18,000 people who have died in a country of about 12 million people.

Although a decade has passed since the 2011 revolution that toppled dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisia remains vulnerable to chronic political turmoil that has hampered efforts to revive crumbling public services.

The country’s divided political class has not been able to form permanent and effective governments.

Since Said was elected president in 2019, he has been in a confrontation with Meshichi and Ghannouchi.

Their rivalry has prevented ministerial appointments and diverted resources away from addressing Tunisia’s many economic and social problems

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