Tunisian protesters denounce ‘coup’, demand president steps down
2 years, 2 months ago

Tunisian protesters denounce ‘coup’, demand president steps down

Al Jazeera  

Thousands protest in Tunis, accusing President Saied of a power grab and demanding accountability for economic crisis. Thousands of Tunisians have demonstrated in the capital Tunis, denouncing President Kais Saied’s moves to consolidate political power and demanding accountability for the country’s long-running economic crisis. “We have a president who is only interested in power.” Thousands of Tunisian protesters are demanding that President Kais Saied steps down, accusing him of harming democracy and the economy ⤵️ 🔗: https://t.co/m299gG0Ju5 pic.twitter.com/QSLKBPahO0 — Al Jazeera English October 16, 2022 Ali Laarayedh, Tunisia’s former prime minister and a senior Ennahdha official, told AFP that the protest was an expression of “anger at the state of affairs under Kais Saied”. “But certainly people in rural areas, they’re not so much interested in the political question of … whether should be a democracy … what they’re really concerned with is just putting bread on the table and being able to eat and gaining access to water.” Approximately 1,500 people joined the Ennahdha-led demonstration, while nearly 1,000 attended the Free Constitutional Party protest, the interior ministry told AFP. In public remarks, Saied has argued he was working to “correct” economic troubles he had inherited from Tunisia’s post-Ben Ali leadership.

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History of this topic

Tunisia's President Kais Saied Wins Re-Election Despite Opposition Crackdown
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Tunisia's President Kais Saied Wins Re-Election Despite Opposition Crackdown

Associated Press  

Tunisia's President Kais Saied won re-election in a landslide victory, securing 90.7% of the vote. His closest challenger, businessman Ayachi Zammel, won 7.4%. The election was marred by the arrests of several declared challengers and the ongoing incarceration of his most prominent right-wing and Islamist critics.

The presidential campaign season in Tunisia is officially underway a day after protests
3 months, 1 week ago

The presidential campaign season in Tunisia is officially underway a day after protests

Associated Press  

TUNIS, Tunisia — The official start of the presidential campaign season in Tunisia began on Saturday, a day after Tunisians took their anger to the streets of the capital to decry what protesters say is the deteriorating state of the country. More than a decade later, Ben Abdelslam said he was worried about the growing number of political figures who’ve …

Tunisian President Kais Saied to seek reelection in October after tumultuous first term
5 months ago

Tunisian President Kais Saied to seek reelection in October after tumultuous first term

Associated Press  

Tunisia’s President Kais Saied said Friday that he will run for a second term, making a long-expected announcement while many of his potential opponents languish in prison on charges their attorneys have described as politicized. Saied, a 66-year-old former law professor, rose to power in 2019, capitalizing on anger against politicians who failed to fulfill the promises of the revolution …

Tunisian opposition wants political prisoners freed before taking part in presidential election
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Tunisian opposition wants political prisoners freed before taking part in presidential election

Associated Press  

TUNIS, Tunisia — Tunisia’s main opposition coalition said Tuesday it won’t take part in the North African country’s upcoming presidential election unless President Kais Saied’s political opponents are freed and judicial independence is restored. More than 20 political opponents have been charged or imprisoned since Saied consolidated power in 2021 by suspending parliament and rewriting the country’s constitution. The National …

Tunisia’s Saied is a hypocrite on Palestine
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Tunisia’s Saied is a hypocrite on Palestine

Al Jazeera  

The chasm between Arab populations’ demand for more decisive responses to Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and the shameful silence and implicit complicity of many of their leaders has yet again exposed the decades-old trend of authoritarian Arab regimes exploiting public support for the Palestinian cause for political gain – a trend that is currently being spearheaded by none other …

Tunisia’s President Saied might be re-elected despite a tumultuous first term and a flagging economy
54 years, 11 months ago

Tunisia’s President Saied might be re-elected despite a tumultuous first term and a flagging economy

Associated Press  

DATE OF ELECTION Fall TYPE OF ELECTION Presidential WHO’S RUNNING Though he has yet to announce plans to run for a second term, Tunisian President Kais Saied is up for reelection after a tumultuous first term. Throughout his tenure, he has reversed some of Tunisia’s democratic gains -- rewriting the country’s constitution to consolidate his own power and jailing critics, …

‘This is a critical moment’: Tunisian protesters show support for Palestine
1 year, 2 months ago

‘This is a critical moment’: Tunisian protesters show support for Palestine

Al Jazeera  

Thousands in Tunis rallied in solidarity for Palestinians affected by the Israeli bombardment, now in its sixth day. Following the lead of protesters in Amman, Baghdad and Cairo, around 3,000 people took to Tunis’s streets on Thursday in a groundswell of solidarity for Palestinians currently facing Israeli bombardment. Meanwhile, in Gaza, Israel continued its sixth day of air strikes in …

Despite multiple crises, Tunisia’s president still has his supporters
1 year, 4 months ago

Despite multiple crises, Tunisia’s president still has his supporters

Al Jazeera  

Economic crisis and political repression have pushed many away, but Saied is still backed by some. Since suspending the country’s parliament and dismissing its prime minister and government in July 2021 – moves his opponents considered a “coup” – the president has ruled directly. Away from the gaze of the public, a storekeeper, who gave his name as Mahmoud Tounsi …

Tunisians protest president’s expanding powers and demand release of all jailed political opponents
1 year, 4 months ago

Tunisians protest president’s expanding powers and demand release of all jailed political opponents

Associated Press  

TUNIS, Tunisia — Despite scorching heat, opposition demonstrators gathered on Tuesday on the main thoroughfare in Tunisia’s capital to denounce policies pursued by President Kaïs Saied, two years to the day after he suspended parliament in the first step of a gradual rollback of Tunisia’s democratic freedoms. Hundreds of people joined the protest by a coalition of opposition parties and …

Tunisia protest marks two years since president’s power grab
1 year, 5 months ago

Tunisia protest marks two years since president’s power grab

Al Jazeera  

Opposition has kept up its demonstrations against what it calls a ‘coup’ against Tunisia’s democracy. About 300 protesters have rallied in Tunis to mark the second anniversary of President Kais Saied’s adoption of sweeping powers and to demand the release of 20 detained opposition figures. The opposition has kept up its protests against Saied despite the arrest in February of …

Tunisia a ‘ticking time bomb’ as Saied cracks down on opposition
1 year, 7 months ago

Tunisia a ‘ticking time bomb’ as Saied cracks down on opposition

Al Jazeera  

Experts and relatives of detained politicians raise alarm on the government’s heavy hand. Anas Altikriti, head of the Cordoba Foundation think tank which focuses on relations between the Muslim world and Western nations, said at Thursday’s forum in London that while the so-called Arab Spring was one of the “most transformative moments of this century”, events now in Tunisia are …

Kais Saied’s Tunisia is becoming a failed state
1 year, 7 months ago

Kais Saied’s Tunisia is becoming a failed state

Al Jazeera  

After just a few years of being governed by Saied, the Tunisian state is already struggling to fulfil some of its essential responsibilities. The April 18 arrest and consequent imprisonment of Tunisia’s main opposition leader, Rached Ghannouchi, the head of the Ennahda party and former speaker of the dissolved parliament, was the latest and perhaps the most definitive sign of …

Tunisia's President Kais Saied reappears in public, dismisses 'mad' reports over health
1 year, 8 months ago

Tunisia's President Kais Saied reappears in public, dismisses 'mad' reports over health

Firstpost  

Tunis, Tunisia: Tunisian President Kais Saied appeared in a video posted Monday on his official Facebook page, dismissing “mad” reports over his health following almost two weeks with no public engagements. The North African country’s main opposition coalition had pressed the government earlier to explain Saied’s public “absence”, saying it had information that he was sick. “The president is absent …

Tunisian opposition defies protest ban, rallies against president
1 year, 9 months ago

Tunisian opposition defies protest ban, rallies against president

Al Jazeera  

Hundreds of opposition supporters march through the streets to demand that President Kais Saied step down. Hundreds of opposition supporters in Tunisia have defied a protest ban and demanded the release of more than 20 prominent figures opposed to the president who have been arrested in recent weeks. The National Salvation Front coalition combines Tunisia’s biggest party, the Ennahdha, the …

Tunisian union holds biggest protest yet against president
1 year, 9 months ago

Tunisian union holds biggest protest yet against president

Firstpost  

Many thousands of protesters filled Habib Bourguiba Avenue, the main street in central Tunis, holding banners that read “No to one-man rule” and chanting “Freedom! Tunis: Tunisia’s powerful UGTT labour union rallied in the capital on Saturday in what appeared to be the biggest protest yet against President Kais Saied, staging a show of strength after his recent crackdown on …

Tunisia’s Saied says migration aimed at changing demography
1 year, 10 months ago

Tunisia’s Saied says migration aimed at changing demography

Al Jazeera  

Rights activists criticise the president’s comments, say they are intended to ‘create an imaginary enemy’. President Kais Saied has alleged that undocumented immigration from sub-Saharan African countries is aimed at changing Tunisia’s demographic composition, drawing criticism from human rights activists. “The undeclared goal of the successive waves of illegal immigration is to consider Tunisia a purely African country that has …

Wave of raids, arrests target government critics in Tunisia
1 year, 10 months ago

Wave of raids, arrests target government critics in Tunisia

Al Jazeera  

The crackdown on opponents of President Saied has sparked international criticism and fears of a return to autocracy. Former diplomat William Lawrence, a professor at the American University in Washington, DC, told Al Jazeera: “Ltaief likes to call himself Tunisia’s de facto vice president after 1989 has been described as a power broker or kingmaker, he has that skill of …

Tunisia arrests more prominent critics of President Saied
1 year, 10 months ago

Tunisia arrests more prominent critics of President Saied

Al Jazeera  

Detentions come amid a wave of arrests targeting politicians and other critics of the government. Tunisian police have arrested two more prominent opponents of President Kais Saied and the head of a radio station that has broadcast criticism of the president. Police raided the house of Noureddine Bhiri, a senior official in the biggest opposition party Ennahdha and a prominent …

Thousands protest in Tunisia against president’s rule
1 year, 11 months ago

Thousands protest in Tunisia against president’s rule

Associated Press  

TUNIS, Tunisia — Thousands of protesters angry at Tunisia’s economic crisis and the president’s increasingly authoritarian drift marched on Saturday through the capital, responding to a call from opposition parties to mark 12 years since Tunisian protesters unleashed Arab Spring uprisings around the region. Prominent opposition politician Ahmed Nejib Chebbi said “Tunisia’s salvation can only come through Kais Saied’s departure.” …

Tunisia: Anti-gov’t protests take place on revolution anniversary
1 year, 11 months ago

Tunisia: Anti-gov’t protests take place on revolution anniversary

Al Jazeera  

Demonstrators in Tunis marked 12 years since the Arab Spring revolution erupted across the region. Protesters are also marking 12 years since the Arab Spring revolution erupted across the region. The central Avenue Habib Bourguiba – the artery of the capital, Tunis, and a key site for the revolution – was crowded on Saturday with thousands of protesters waving Tunisian …

Tunisia opposition says hit by politically motivated probes
1 year, 11 months ago

Tunisia opposition says hit by politically motivated probes

The Hindu  

The main coalition against Tunisian President Kais Saied said Tuesday his administration was using the judiciary to close down opposition to his rule, after several inquiries were opened against its members. Mr. Chebbi said that any "Tunisian who has an independent opinion or is part of the opposition is a criminal as far as Kais Saied is concerned". A lawyer …

Low turnout a message from Tunisian people to Saied: ‘Step aside’
2 years ago

Low turnout a message from Tunisian people to Saied: ‘Step aside’

Al Jazeera  

Opposition parties say the only way forward for Tunisia is to get out of President Kais Saied’s system of one-man rule. Tunis, Tunisia – A day after Tunisians largely shunned the parliamentary elections, the Democratic Current party, one of 12 political parties which boycotted the elections, is calling for President Kais Saeid to step down. Party leader Ghazi Chaouachi said …

Tunisians protest against Saied ahead of parliamentary elections
2 years ago

Tunisians protest against Saied ahead of parliamentary elections

Al Jazeera  

Opponents say a vote on December 17 under the country’s new constitution is illegitimate and are calling for a boycott. Hundreds of Tunisians have taken to the streets to protest against President Kais Saied a week before parliamentary elections are set to take place under a new constitution. Speakers at the protest, including senior politicians from opposition parties, said the …

Protests in Tunisia’s capital amid inflation, food shortages
2 years, 2 months ago

Protests in Tunisia’s capital amid inflation, food shortages

Al Jazeera  

Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets of Tunis in unrest compounded by an ongoing political crisis. Hundreds of protesters have taken to the streets in the Tunisian capital as soaring inflation and food shortages have compounded unrest amid the country’s ongoing political crisis. Some gathered burned tyres, while others chanted, “Where is Kais Saied?”, in reference to Tunisia’s president, …

Tunisian president’s new electoral law reduces parties’ sway
2 years, 3 months ago

Tunisian president’s new electoral law reduces parties’ sway

Al Jazeera  

Meanwhile, the Tunisian government and main labour union sign a deal to boost wages in an attempt to ease social tensions. Tunisia’s president issued an electoral law reducing but not ending the role of political parties in a reformed parliament that will have fewer powers under a constitution passed in July. The main parties across Tunisia’s political spectrum have already …

Strangling Tunisia’s democracy
2 years, 4 months ago

Strangling Tunisia’s democracy

The Hindu  

On August 16, the results of the referendum on the amendments to the national constitution proposed by Tunisian president Kais Saied were formally endorsed by the election commission, effectively terminating the country’s brief encounter with a democratic order. In December 2021, Mr. Saied announced a “road map” for political change — online “consultations” on constitutional reform, a committee to propose …

After the referendum: The challenges of a power grab in Tunisia
2 years, 4 months ago

After the referendum: The challenges of a power grab in Tunisia

The Hindu  

The story so far:Tunisian voters have approved a new Constitution that would turn the country back into a presidential system, institutionalising the one-man reign of President Kais Saied, who suspended the elected Parliament and awarded more powers to himself last year. While Mr. Saied has welcomed the result, his critics have warned that the new Constitution would erase whatever democratic …

Tunisian officials say new constitution passed in vote with low turnout
2 years, 4 months ago

Tunisian officials say new constitution passed in vote with low turnout

The Hindu  

A new Tunisian constitution giving far more power to President Kais Saied passed in a referendum with a 30.5% turnout, the electoral commission said on Tuesday, tightening his grip in what critics fear is a march to a new era of autocracy. The commission said 95% of voters approved the constitution in Monday's referendum boycotted by opposition groups, which accuse …

Hundreds protest against Tunisia draft constitution as vote looms
2 years, 5 months ago

Hundreds protest against Tunisia draft constitution as vote looms

Al Jazeera  

Older and younger generations march in Tunis to reject President Kais Saied’s draft constitution, days ahead of a referendum. Tunis, Tunisia – Hundreds of people have rallied in Tunis to protest against a draft constitution proposed by President Kais Saied, two days before a planned referendum on the charter. A member of the executive committee of the National Salvation Front …

Opponents of Tunisia’s new referendum unable to unite before vote
2 years, 5 months ago

Opponents of Tunisia’s new referendum unable to unite before vote

Al Jazeera  

Referendum on President Kais Saied’s new constitution will be on Monday, opponents call it ‘completely illegitimate’. “I’m looking for my place, I cannot be with Ennadha, or the PDL or these other groups or parties,” Mahouechi said, adding that he was debating whether to join a Democratic Women protest and whether he should vote no, or just boycott the referendum. …

Tunisian president’s backers say ‘yes’ to proposed constitution
2 years, 5 months ago

Tunisian president’s backers say ‘yes’ to proposed constitution

Al Jazeera  

Despite growing opposition, President Saied has retained supporters who will back him in Monday’s constitutional referendum. Tunis, Tunisia – With many opponents of Tunisia’s proposed new constitution unlikely to vote in Monday’s referendum on whether to approve the document, the path is open for supporters of the country’s President Kais Saied, to vote “yes”, and make one of the biggest …

Tunisia’s president, opposition battle over who will fold first
2 years, 6 months ago

Tunisia’s president, opposition battle over who will fold first

Al Jazeera  

Tunisia is approaching a crossroads as President Kais Saied continues to clash with growing opposition to his proposed new constitution. He believes that “the manner in which Saied has targeted the state’s institutions, the body blow that he delivered to the judiciary and his successful infiltration and effective takeover of the farmer’s union, means that the UGTT now believes that …

Skirmishes as police block Tunisia protests against July referendum
2 years, 6 months ago

Skirmishes as police block Tunisia protests against July referendum

Al Jazeera  

Police blocked protesters marching towards the headquarters of the electoral board whose chief President Kais Saied recently replaced. At the protest in the Tunisian capital Tunis, organised by five small political parties, some demonstrators held up placards reading, “The president’s commission = fraud commission”. ‘Raised alarm bells’ Political analyst Amine Snoussi said Tunisians will likely see the “emptiness of Saied’s …

Tunisian president sacks dozens of judges as he consolidates rule
2 years, 6 months ago

Tunisian president sacks dozens of judges as he consolidates rule

Al Jazeera  

Kais Saied, whose opponents accuse him of a ‘coup’, has been ruling by decree since he set aside the 2014 constitution. Tunisia’s president sacked 57 judges on Wednesday, accusing them of corruption and protecting “terrorists”, as he seeks to remodel the country’s political system after consolidating one-man rule. The council had acted as the main guarantor of judicial independence since …

Saied accused of taking Tunisia back towards one-man rule
2 years, 8 months ago

Saied accused of taking Tunisia back towards one-man rule

Al Jazeera  

Tunis, Tunisia – Political crisis in Tunisia has intensified following President Kais Saied’s decision to dissolve the parliament after freezing it in a power grab on July 25 last year. “Legally, since it’s dissolved, parliament must remain in session until a new vote is held within the 90-day period,” Masmoudi, the Ennahdha member, maintained qualifying the president’s latest move as …

Tunisia caught between president and parliament as crisis deepens
2 years, 8 months ago

Tunisia caught between president and parliament as crisis deepens

Al Jazeera  

Both Tunisian parliament and President Saied are trying to exert authority, as Saied announces parliament’s dissolution. The Tunisian President Kais Saied’s decision to dissolve parliament followed a day of political drama, and one that could define the outcome of Tunisia’s continuing political crisis. The announcement on Wednesday followed a decision by the Tunisian parliament to reconvene virtually in defiance of …

Tunisia: Mass anti-Saied protests take place in capital Tunis
2 years, 9 months ago

Tunisia: Mass anti-Saied protests take place in capital Tunis

Al Jazeera  

Last July, President Saied suspended parliament, sacked PM and further expanded his legislative and executive powers. Thousands of Tunisians have taken to the streets of the capital Tunis in the latest of a series of rallies against President Kais Saied, accused by opponents of grabbing power amid a deepening political crisis. In July last year, President Saied suspended parliament and …

The West should not continue to support Tunisia’s new dictator
2 years, 10 months ago

The West should not continue to support Tunisia’s new dictator

Al Jazeera  

The birthplace of the Arab Spring is now an autocracy and Western democracies helped it get there. After initially delaying talks with the International Monetary Fund on the urgently needed bailout package, and accusing both the IMF and the World Bank of “hypocrisy” for backing corrupt political and economic lobbies, for example, Saied recently flipped his discourse and now seems …

Tunisian dies after protesting President Saied’s moves
2 years, 11 months ago

Tunisian dies after protesting President Saied’s moves

Al Jazeera  

Rhida Bouziane was among hundreds of demonstrators who commemorated the 11th anniversary of Tunisia’s revolution on Friday. Tunisia’s independent anti-torture body opened its own “suspicious death investigation”, Lofti Ezzedine, an official with the group, told AFP news agency. Friday fell on what Tunisians had previously marked as the anniversary of the 2011 revolution, the day longtime ruler Zine El Abidine …

Tunisia’s UGTT criticises president’s road map out of crisis
2 years, 11 months ago

Tunisia’s UGTT criticises president’s road map out of crisis

Al Jazeera  

The trade union says the president’s proposal will not guarantee Tunisia’s return to democracy. Tunisia’s powerful General Labour Union has criticised President Kais Saied’s road map out of political crisis, saying it did not go far enough. Last month, President Saied announced a plan to move past the political crisis that has paralysed the country since he suspended parliament, dismissed …

Hundreds protest in Tunisia on anniversary of revolution
3 years ago

Hundreds protest in Tunisia on anniversary of revolution

Al Jazeera  

Protesters rally for and against President Saied who has extended suspension of parliament until next year, sparking tensions. The protesters gathered at a key city centre junction, chanting “the people want the coup d’etat to fall”, referring to Saied’s power grab, as police officers in riot gear looked on. A few hundred metres away, past hundreds of security personnel and …

President Saied’s opponents slam parliament freeze extension
3 years ago

President Saied’s opponents slam parliament freeze extension

Al Jazeera  

Former Ennahdha MP Dilou says the idea would ‘make Tunisia an object of ridicule’ as other opposition members condemned the decision. Opponents of Tunisian President Kais Saied have slammed the decision to extend a months-long suspension of parliament, accusing him of dealing another blow to the country’s nascent democracy. On Monday evening, President Saied said parliament would remain suspended until …

In Pictures: Tunisians rally to denounce Saied’s power grab
3 years, 1 month ago

In Pictures: Tunisians rally to denounce Saied’s power grab

Al Jazeera  

Tunisians have gathered near the country’s parliament to protest against a presidential power grab they have denounced as a “coup”. Sunday’s rally in Tunis was the latest opposing President Kais Saied’s July 25 decision to sack the government, suspend parliament and seize an array of powers, citing an “imminent threat” to the country. “The people want to bring down the …

Tunisians protest against President Saied’s power grab
3 years, 1 month ago

Tunisians protest against President Saied’s power grab

Al Jazeera  

Tunisian police have clashed with protesters near the chamber of the suspended parliament as demonstrators marched against President Kais Saied’s seizure of political power four months ago. “We are under one-man rule since July 25 … we will stay here until they open the roads and end the siege,” Jawher Ben Mbarek, a protest leader, told Reuters news agency. “They …

Tunisia protest shows rift over president’s seizure of power
3 years, 2 months ago

Tunisia protest shows rift over president’s seizure of power

Associated Press  

TUNIS, Tunisia — Several thousand demonstrators gathered in central Tunis on Sunday to protest President Kaïs Saied’s recent consolidation of power, which his critics have called a “coup.” The protest reflected an increasingly visible rift in Tunisian society over the president’s actions. One woman held a sign that read “Ever seen a president calling his people insects?”, referring to Saied’s …

Ex-Tunisia president calls for protests against Kais Saied
3 years, 2 months ago

Ex-Tunisia president calls for protests against Kais Saied

Al Jazeera  

Moncef Marzouki tells all Tunisians to rally on Sunday in defence of the constitution, democracy, and national sovereignty. Former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki has called on Tunisians to stage protests on Sunday against the power grab by the country’s president, Kais Saied. Last month, he brushed aside much of the constitution to say he could pass legislation by decree, casting …

Tunisia: Thousands rally in support of President Saied
3 years, 2 months ago

Tunisia: Thousands rally in support of President Saied

Al Jazeera  

Thousands of supporters of Tunisian President Kais Saied have rallied in the capital to show their backing for his suspension of parliament and promises to change the political system, acts his critics call a coup. On Sunday, demonstrators waved Tunisian flags and carried placards railing against Ennahdha, the “Muslim democratic” party that is the biggest in parliament and has acted …

Tunisian parties announce coalition to counter President Saied
3 years, 2 months ago

Tunisian parties announce coalition to counter President Saied

Al Jazeera  

Four political parties in Tunisia have announced a coalition to oppose President Kais Saied’s move to seize governing powers. Chawashi said that if Saied “insists on his decisions”, the coalition would apply pressure and “exercise all peaceful means of protest”. “The president has given himself the right to do whatever he wants.” Last week, other parties called for an end …

Hundreds of Tunisians protest President Saied’s ‘power grab’
3 years, 2 months ago

Hundreds of Tunisians protest President Saied’s ‘power grab’

Al Jazeera  

Protesters are calling on President Kais Saied to resign after he announced he would rule by decree. Demonstrators gathered on Sunday in the centre of Tunis along Habib Bourguiba Avenue under a heavy police presence to demand his resignation, chanting, “The people want the fall of the coup.” Brushing aside much of the 2014 constitution, Saied gave himself the power …

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