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July 26, 2021 - Tunisian President Kais Saied announced Sunday that he had sacked Prime Minister Hicham Mechichi, frozen parliamentary activity and suspended the immunity of all MPs following mass protests in the country. Saied defended his decision as being in line with the constitution and said he would take the lead in executive power with the cooperation of a new prime minister. 



The move, which comes on the 64th anniversary of Tunisia's independence, intensifies Saied's long-standing feud with the prime minister and poses a challenge to the 2014 constitution that splits powers between president, prime minister and parliament.



Hours earlier, Tunisia was rocked by mass protests in several cities, fueled by public dissatisfaction with the government's handling of the coronavirus and worsening economic crisis. Protests were also reported in the cities of Gafsa, Kairouan, Monastir, Sousse and Tozeur.



In several cities, demonstrators and police clashed violently as crowds stormed the offices of Ennahda, the largest moderate Islamist-oriented parliamentary party, demanding the resignation of the prime minister and the dissolution of parliament. Yesterday's protests were the biggest in months and the biggest in years against Ennahda. "Many people have been deceived by hypocrisy, betrayal and robbery of the rights of the people," Saied said in a statement in the state media.



Shortly after the announcement, the horns blew through Tunis and the people poured into the streets to celebrate. The demonstrators also called for an amendment to the Constitution and a transition period run by the army,  while retaining Saied as head of state.



The scenarios that now open up are unpredictable: "What Kais Saied is doing is a coup against the revolution and against the Constitution. And the members of Ennahdha and the Tunisian people will defend the revolution" commented the speaker of the parliament on Facebook. Tunisian and the leader of the Ennahda party, Rached Ghannouchi. "I warn anyone who thinks of using guns ... and whoever shoots a bullet, the military will respond with bullets," Saied added.



Although a decade has passed since the 2011 revolution that overthrew the dictator Zine el Abidine ben Ali,  Tunisia remains subject to continuing political instability which has hampered efforts to revive ruined public services and carry out the reforms required by the International Monetary Fund.



The fragmented political class of the country has not been able to form lasting and effective governments in recent years. Tunisia has experienced a sort of institutional stalemate for months due to the opposition between President Saied and Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi, due to a government reshuffle already approved by parliament at the end of last January, never accepted by the head of state.