Timeline: Kais Saied's crackdown in Tunisia, from suspending parliament to arresting Ghannouchi
Tunisian President Kais Saied has been steadily consolidating power since 2021 when he dismissed parliament in a move widely described as a coup. He is now cracking down further on his Islamist political opponents.
Tunisian authorities closed the offices of the Islamist opposition party Ennahda on Tuesday. The move represents only the latest effort by President Kais Saied in the past two years to sideline his political opponents and amass power.
The authorities specifically banned meetings at all Ennahda offices throughout the country. This followed the arrest on Monday evening of Ennahda leader Rached Ghannouchi. Police also closed the headquarters of the National Salvation Front — a big tent coalition of Saied’s opponents that includes Ennahda, according to Reuters.
Saied’s tenure as president has been controversial, with some applauding his moves and others calling for his removal and condemning his actions. The following is a timeline of the key events in Saied’s consolidation of power.
July 2021 - Saied suspended the parliament and dismissed the government of Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi. Though Mechichi is an independent, his government was supported by Ennahda. There were protests both in support of and against Saied at the time, as some in Tunisia opposed the government.
