Banning foreign funding for civil society organizations.. Qais Saeed: We will not allow foreign funds to tamper with the country

 Tunisian President Kais Saied said yesterday that he will ban civil society organizations from receiving any foreign funding, as part of his efforts to reshape the country's political scene.

Civil society organizations, including some that received funding from Western democratic countries, have played a prominent role in Tunisia since the 2011 uprising that laid the foundations for democracy in the country.

"NGOs must be banned from external funds...and we will do that," Saeed told a government meeting.

He added, "Ostensibly, they are associations, but they are an extension of external forces... We will not allow money to come from abroad to tamper with the country... There is no room for anyone to interfere in our choices under any pressure or influence."

Last summer, Saeed suspended the elected parliament and assumed executive power, and this month announced the dissolution of the Supreme Judicial Council.

Said says his decisions are necessary to save Tunisia from years of political and economic stagnation that peaked last year amid protests fueled by an increase in COVID-19 cases.

He denied that he had dictatorial aspirations.

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