Tunisia: demonstrators demand the return of constitutional order
Audio 01:34
Hundreds of demonstrators gathered in front of the municipal theater of Tunis on avenue Bourguiba, September 18, 2021. © RFI / Amira Souilhem
Text by: RFI Follow
3 min
Eight weeks after Kaïs Saïed's speech in which he arrogated to himself exceptional powers, Tunisia is still waiting to know the direction that its president will take.
Faced with this situation, signs of impatience are beginning to be felt.
This Saturday, September 18, Tunisians descended on Avenue Bourguiba to demand the return to what they call constitutional order.
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With our correspondent in Tunis
,
Amira Souilem
“
Constitution, freedom and dignity
” or even “
clear
! ", The slogans of the revolution were brought up to date and sung at the top of their lungs by a few hundred demonstrators gathered in front of the Tunis municipal theater on Avenue Bourguiba:"
Kaïs Saïed must respect the Constitution he has sworn to respect,
intones this protester
. Fifty or sixty days have passed since the President's speech and we still do not know his intentions. We ask the President to come to his senses.
"
“Our grandparents fought to have a parliament before us. And Kaïs Saïed like that, decides to
get rid of this assembly
.
It is a coup d'état against the people and against the Constitution,
”insists another demonstrator.
Public opinion is starting to crack
In the midst of police forces mobilized in large numbers and Tunisians at the weekend quietly sipping a drink, the anti-Saïed demonstration took an unexpected turn when citizens improvised a counter-demonstration.
Accusing the “
anti-coup
” of being supporters of
the Islamist Ennahdha party
, they wanted to defend the freezing of Parliament: “
We demonstrate against those who demonstrate.
I support the president or rather it is Tunisia that I support above all.
The country has suffered enough, that's enough, I hope that God will be with us and that these people in front of us will free them!
"
A face-to-face meeting which proves that Tunisian public opinion is gradually starting to crack.
First largely won over to the president's decisions, more and more Tunisians are growing impatient with the silence of the Palace of Carthage.
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Tunisia
Kaïs Saïed