ALBAWABA - Tunisian President Kais Saied has finally dissolved the country’s frozen parliament in response to what he called a revolt by deputies who held a virtual session in protest at the president.
Tunisia President Kais Saied on Wednesday dissolved parliament eight months after suspending the body, describing an online meeting by some deputies as an “attempted coup,” state-run TV reported https://t.co/tb9ITNqeST
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The country had been in a state of political crisis ever since Saied took the step of freezing parliament on 25 July 2021. This last step, taken at a meeting with the country’s National Seccurity Council will likely increase the already tense political situation in Tunisia.
“Today, we announce the dissolution of parliament, to preserve the state and its institutions,” Saied said at a meeting of the National Security Council according to Anadolu news.
While You Asleep
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Tunisia's President Kais Saied dissolved the country's parliament and said MPs would be prosecuted, extending an eight-month power grab and intensifying the country's political crisis #MorninhgAtNTV #NTVNews pic.twitter.com/WkYeOlLgKI
The last step of dissolving the assembly altogether was taken because MPs decided to take matters into their hands and hold a virtual session to discuss parliamentary business and in particular to remove the 'exceptional measures' that had been introduced by Saied to freeze the assembly last year.
Tunisia’s President Kais Saied announced that he is dissolving the country’s parliament, 8 months after suspending it in a July power grab https://t.co/2Od6uEtg3x pic.twitter.com/g0lE8WxPka
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The president said what the deputies did was a challenge to the state and those who took part in the virtual meeting - about 124 deputies including parliamentary speaker Rashid Ghannouchi - will be prosecuted and the Tunisia Ministry of Justice has already started procedures.
The Tunisian president termed Wednesday’s parliamentary session as a “failed coup attempt”.
Kais Saied’s consolidation of dictatorship continues at lightning speed. 8 months after suspending #Tunisia’s democratically elected parliament w/ army tanks, Saied just formally dissolved it (via personal fiat ofc) & accused its members of fomenting coup against him.
— Monica Marks (@MonicaLMarks) March 30, 2022
Tunisia has been in the throes of a deep political crisis since July 25 when Saied dismissed the government, suspended parliament, and assumed executive authority, in a move decried by opponents as a “coup.”
Tunisia has been seen as the only country that succeeded in carrying out a democratic transition among Arab countries which witnessed popular revolutions toppling ruling regimes, including Egypt, Libya, and Yemen, the Turkish-based new agency said.
