In a continuation of the battle of powers and the interpretation of the constitution between the two heads of the executive authority in Tunisia, the President of the Republic, Qais Said, during the celebration of the Day of the Internal Security Forces - confirmed that he is the supreme commander of the military and civilian forces, which left a political and legal controversy.
And in a sharp tone, the President of the Republic said - in front of a large gathering of internal security services and in the presence of both the prime minister and the speaker of parliament - that he is "the supreme commander of the military armed forces and the civilian (security) armed forces and all of their corps."
He added, "I am not inclined to monopolize these forces, but the text is clear, and whoever was not clear to him in 2014, let this be clear from today."
Control the powers of the president and prime minister
The law regulating public authorities in Tunisia set the powers of the two heads of the executive authority in the country, as the president of the republic is considered the supreme commander of the military armed forces, while the head of government is responsible for supervising the Ministry of the Interior and all the security services under its banner.
The president inferred his interpretation of the text of the constitution by comparing what was stated in the country's constitution for the year 1959 and the constitution of the revolution, stressing that the old constitution stated that “the president of the republic is the supreme commander of the military forces, while the 2014 constitution did not specify what armed forces are to be led by the president of the republic.
Out of context
In the first reaction to the President's statements, Prime Minister Hisham Al-Mechishi described what Saeed said was "out of context," adding - during local statements - "We are celebrating the anniversary of the security establishment and there is no obligation to enter into individual and anomalous readings of the constitutional text."
"This reminds us of the need for a top priority to establish the Constitutional Court, as it is the only institution to decide on these issues. The country's laws are implemented and whoever sees otherwise can go to the relevant structures," he said.
Populist Mills
Political leaders were quick to denounce the president's statements, describing them as an attempt to overthrow the constitution and monopolize the interpretation of its chapters in the absence of the Constitutional Court, while the leader of the Ennahda Movement, Khalil Baroumi, described Said's statements as "a clear overthrow of the law and the constitution with an individual interpretation without prior consultation or coordination."
"It is not permissible to put security forces in the mills of populism," Baroumi added - in a blog post on his Facebook account.
The official spokesman of the Heart of Tunisia Party, Mohamed Sadiq Jabnoun, said - in his speech to Al Jazeera Net - that the President of the Republic is still taking advantage of the absence of the Constitutional Court to extend his authority over all state institutions by monopolizing the interpretation of the constitution.
He stressed that the 2014 constitution was clear when he singled out the president of the republic to oversee the military armed forces, denouncing the president's return to the 1959 constitution to justify his seizure of the prime minister's power in relation to the security forces.
He concluded by saying, "We are not in a presidential system that possesses all powers, but rather in a quasi-parliamentary system, and what is happening in some countries of the Middle East should remain there."
It is not the first time that President Qais Saeed spoke about being the supreme commander of the military and security forces, but this time - according to many - was more acute and direct in front of the high frameworks of the state and senior leaders of the security wires inside the Carthage Palace.
And Saeed had previously confirmed - during a surprise visit to the Ministry of Interior on New Year's Eve, in the presence of security leaders - that he is "the supreme commander of the military and security forces."
Sound reading
Constitutional law researcher Rabeh Al-Kharaifi considered - in a statement to Al-Jazeera Net - that Saeed acknowledged for the first time not only his right to interpret the constitution, but also to monitor the extent of his compliance with the laws in force in relation to the Supreme Jobs Law of 2015, which grants the prime minister the nomination of higher positions, so that he is certain Unconstitutional.
Al-Kharaifi emphasized that Qais Saeed’s reading of the term “armed forces” - contained in the 2014 constitution in relation to his powers - is a sound reading, given that the constitution did not explicitly speak about the army, and the term could be understood more generally.
The researcher in constitutional law pointed out that the sharp tone spoken by the President of the Republic paves the way for a "matter of greatness," when he quoted the poet Imur al-Qais, with an act, and addressed everyone, saying, "Today is patience, tomorrow is a matter."
He concluded by saying, "President Qais Said's speech reminds me of the speech of Egypt's President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi when he started his campaign against the Brotherhood, summoning senior security leaders, leaders of the armed forces, and others."