Tunisia: Kaïs Saïed addresses Tunisians, but does not answer all the questions
President Kaïs Saïed - here in 2019 - addressed Tunisians this Wednesday, July 28, in a televised address.
REUTERS / Zoubeir Souissi
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
Three days after the coup by the Tunisian president, who dismissed the Prime Minister and suspended Parliament for 30 days, Kaïs Saïed addressed his fellow citizens on Wednesday July 28 in the evening, without however providing a roadmap or the name of a new head of government.
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With our correspondent in Tunis,
Lilia Blaise
He was expected on the appointment of a new head of government, but Kaïs Saïed preferred to kick in touch this Wednesday evening in his speech.
He set out measures that strongly recall his 2019 electoral program. Kaïs Saïed denounced the 13.5 million dinars - or 4 million euros - stolen by corrupt businessmen under the dictatorship and offered them a form of reconciliation.
Are concerned, 460 people whose names were listed in the report of a commission of inquiry on corruption and violations under Ben Ali, published in 2011. Kaïs Saïed offers them to invest in projects, hospitals or schools by example, in disadvantaged regions.
Projects chosen in order of priority via regional popular committees.
UGTT support
"
We do not want to put anyone in prison but to apply the rights of the people,
" he said.
A text should be published soon to put this decision into effect.
He also called for lower food prices, a source of suffering in his words for many Tunisians.
Kaïs Saïed spoke on this point during the day with UTICA, the employers' union.
Today, even if his actions are still contested by several political forces, the president can count on the support of the unions including also the UGTT, the powerful central union, which after having supported him, will offer him a road in the days to come.
Abroad,
concerns
are still present about the outcome of this crisis.
The head of French diplomacy, Jean-Yves Le Drian called on Wednesday for the rapid appointment of a head of government in Tunisia while reassuring on France's support to deal with the health situation in the country.
► To listen again: "
Today, Tunisia has no more checks and balances
" (International guest)
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