Tunisia: President Saïed changes the anniversary date of the start of the revolution

Demonstrations in the center of Tunis, January 22, 2011. AFP PHOTO / MARTIN BUREAU

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

More than four months after taking power on July 25, President Kaïs Saïed decided to change the public holiday that symbolizes the date of the start of the revolution, by presidential decree announced on Thursday.

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With our correspondent in Tunis,

Lilia Blaise

It was a strong moment in the history of the Tunisian revolution when the "

 Dégage

 " of the demonstrators on the avenue Bourguiba in Tunis marked the history, January 14, 2011, date of

the fall of the dictator Ben Ali

.

But more than ten years later, President Kaïs Saïed decided that the celebration of this Tunisian revolution was to be on December 17, when the seller

Mohamed Bouazizi

set himself on fire, giving rise to the wave of the Arab Spring.

A problematic change of date according to Haythem El Mekki, radio journalist and blogger during the revolution.

“ 

And for him January 14 is the date when the revolution was recovered or aborted and the Tunisians were prevented from deciding their fate, etc.

Of course, he doesn't explain how it was done, why he said that, he doesn't explain anything at all. 

"

For Meriam Soualhia, 28 years old and political activist, it is also an attack on memory.

"

Me, I think it is more logical and especially more consensual to keep the date of January 14 because we must not forget that between January 17 and January 14, there are more than 350 Tunisians who gave their life at the homeland.

 "

The president, always popular in the polls, suggested that important announcements would be made on this new national holiday.

Tunisia is still living in an exceptional period when the president has

assumed all the powers

.

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  • Tunisia

  • Kaïs Saïed