Blinken says Tunisian president promised ‘democratic path’
Al JazeeraThe US secretary of state says Kais Saied promised him he was committed to democracy, as he urged him to restore parliament. The US Secretary of State has expressed concern about the political crisis in Tunisia after President Kais Saied suspended the parliament and dismissed the government in a move the country’s main political parties called a “coup”. The top US envoy said that Saied gave a “lengthy explanation” of why he took the unprecedented step, adding that the Tunisian president promised him he was committed to democracy. “The intentions he expressed to me were to return Tunisia to that democratic path and to act in a way that was consistent with the constitution,” Blinken told Al Jazeera during a visit to Kuwait. “So our strong hope and expectation is that Tunisia will return to that democratic path, act consistent with the constitution, unfreeze the parliament, have a government in place to do the work of the people, to be responsive to their needs.” The State Department had previously said only that Blinken encouraged Saied to “adhere to the principles of democracy and human rights” without explicitly calling for the return of parliament.
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