Tunisia’s president to establish 'new republic' amid fear of new dictatorship
Tunisia’s President Kais Saied has announced plans for a new constitution and a different system of government, which raises concerns among political and human rights circles about the possibility of imposing a dictatorship in the country.
TUNIS — Tunisian President Kais Saied stated on May 4 that an advisory national committee will be formed to establish a new republic in Tunisia.
On Eid al-Fitr on May 1, Saied announced that a committee has been formed to draft the constitution of a “new republic,” and will complete its work within a few days.
Also, he said, a body has been assigned to prepare for a national dialogue — which will include only those who supported the July 25, 2021 process, and exclude those whom he described as “traitors and non-patriots,” referring to the Islamist Ennahda movement that won 52 out of 217 seats in the 2019 legislative elections.
In response, the Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT), Tunisia’s largest trade union, on May 6 stressed the need to conduct a real, direct, and broad dialogue with no decisions set in advance. The statement reiterated the UGTT’s “rejection of any useless and conditional formal dialogue that marginalizes the active national political and social forces."
