The Tunisian Ennahda movement said that it refuses to violate the constitutional formulas and procedures in the process of forming the government, which it considered the de facto government, at a time when Tunisian President Kais Saied announced that he would withdraw the diplomatic passport of former President Moncef Marzouki.

The movement stressed - in a statement - that the loss of legitimacy will multiply the challenges and obstacles facing the government in its handling of national affairs and its dealings with international partners.

She was surprised by what she described as the continuation of the sharp discourse towards political violators, stressing that it is a discourse that divides the Tunisian people, fuels conflict and strife, undermines national unity and harms Tunisia's reputation.

She commended the popular, political and human rights movement that refuses to suspend the constitution and institutions and calls for an end to the exceptional situation.

Al-Nahda movement warned of the danger of continuing to pressure the judiciary and demanded support for its independence and respect so that it can carry out its duties in protecting rights and freedoms and establishing justice.

Former President Moncef Marzouki (right) is one of the most prominent opponents of current President Qais Saeed's exceptional decisions (Agencies)

Saeed and Marzouki

For his part, Tunisian President Kais Saied said that he would withdraw the diplomatic passport of former President Moncef Marzouki, after he demanded that France stop its aid to the Tunisian regime.

Said added - in press statements - Tunisia is a free and independent country, and whoever plots against it abroad will be charged.

He made it clear that he was keen on freedom and democracy, and that the people would be able to express their will without interference, as he put it.

In previous statements, Moncef Marzouki denied his call for external forces to interfere in Tunisia's affairs.

He said - during an interview with the Al-Masiya program on Al-Jazeera Mubasher - that "at a time when I asked France not to support the coup and not to interfere in Tunisia's issues, they accused me of calling for external intervention... This is what I have been saying to other countries for 30 years, do not interfere. In Tunisia, do not support dictatorship.

He added, "National radio stations did not give me the right to respond. He (Saeed) is the third dictator I have dealt with, as if history is repeating itself. These are the same accusations that I heard during the era of Ben Ali and Bourguiba."

"Dictatorship does not accept opposition, the opposition is always a traitor in their eyes," he said.


press protests

In a related context, the National Syndicate of Tunisian Journalists organized today, Thursday, a vigil to denounce the repeated attacks against journalists.

The union said that it had monitored a number of serious attacks, which it described as targeting journalists from various media institutions, especially those who covered the protests that followed the procedures of last July 25.

The protesters raised slogans such as "Freedom of the press is a red line" and "A fourth authority, not a kneeling authority."

The head of the Journalists Syndicate, Muhammad Yassin Al-Jelassi, said that the stand was in the context of expressing their anger at the repeated barbaric and brutal attacks on them.

He pointed out that these attacks almost claimed the lives of the Tunisian national television crew last Sunday.

Al-Jelassi called on his country's authorities to assume their responsibility to protect journalists while they perform their duties, stressing that assault with violence, intimidation and incitement are crimes whose perpetrators must be held accountable.

He considered that impunity encouraged the continuation and repetition of attacks against journalists, noting that the union had already begun to prosecute the aggressors.

Al-Jalassi warned of the danger of the escalation of incitement against journalists, and the prosecutions against them for their opinions, positions or journalistic work, or because of the orientations of the media institutions operating them.

Since last July 25, Tunisia has been experiencing a severe political crisis, when President Saied began a series of exceptional decisions, including freezing the competencies of Parliament, lifting the immunity of its deputies, abolishing the constitutionality monitoring body, issuing legislation by presidential decrees, chairing the Public Prosecution Office, and dismissing the Prime Minister.

The majority of political forces rejected these decisions, and considered them a coup against the constitution, while other forces supported them and saw them as a correction of the course of the 2011 revolution, in light of the political, economic and health crises (the Corona pandemic).

And last Monday, the formation of the new Tunisian government, which included 24 ministerial portfolios, was announced, headed by Najla Bouden, who was appointed by Said to the position on September 29 last.