Tunisia..Protest against President Said's actions, and "Ennahda" rejects the decision to form the constitution drafting committee

Today, Sunday, opponents of Tunisian President Kais Saied organized a protest sit-in in Medenine, in the south of the country;

This was a rejection of the president's political path, while the Ennahda movement rejected Saied's decision to assign an advisory committee to draft a new constitution to establish a "new republic."

Hundreds of protesting participants in "Madenine" raised slogans refusing to harm freedoms and the security grip. Political figures representing the coordination of the "Citizens Against the Coup" initiative and the "National Salvation Front" participated in the vigil.

This protest comes within a series of moves in several Tunisian states, called for by the National Salvation Front, after the issuance of a decision by President Saied, the day before yesterday, Friday, regarding the creation of an advisory body tasked with overseeing the dialogue and drafting a new constitution for the country.

Hundreds of Tunisians demonstrated yesterday, Saturday, in the governorate of Tataouine, adjacent to the governorate of Medenine, against the president's policies, at the invitation of "citizens against the coup" and the "National Salvation Front".

And the coordinator of the National Salvation Front, Ahmed Najib al-Shabbi, had previously called for the organization of a national conference for dialogue, to overcome the political crisis in the country. over the executive and legislative authority.

Regarding the National Consultative Commission for the new republic, which was announced by Said, Chebbi said, "This consultation (referendum) is a metamorphosis because it is based on an electronic consultation in which more than 90% of the people did not participate."

The Renaissance Movement

In a related context, the Tunisian Ennahda movement rejected today, Sunday, President Said's decision to assign an advisory committee to draft a new constitution for Tunisia to establish a "new republic." The committee is headed by law professor Sadiq Belaid.

The movement said in a statement that the decision constitutes a "complete departure from constitutional legitimacy and perpetuating a coup" on July 25, 2021.

Yesterday, Saturday, several political parties denounced what they described as President Saeed's uniqueness of the decision and its exclusion from the national dialogue in order to draft a new constitution for the country, and called on these parties to confront what they described as a farce.

On the other hand, the Tunisian president is holding consultations today with the Secretary-General of the General Labor Union, Noureddine Taboubi, in an effort to save the national dialogue called for by the president.

Saeed and Al-Taboubi's meeting comes a day before the labor union's administrative board meeting tomorrow, Monday, to decide on his participation in the national dialogue.

A previous meeting between the Tunisian President (right) and Taboubi, head of the Labor Union (communication sites)

Taboubi stated earlier that the union refuses to go back to before last July 25, the date of the entry into force of the exceptional measures announced by the president, but it objects to going to a national dialogue that "does not bring together all Tunisians, and the results and outcomes are known."

refusal to talk

The Tunisian General Labor Union responded yesterday, Friday, after the issuance of the presidential decree, by saying that the dialogue proposed by President Said in this way is rejected.

President Said issued a decree based on his legislative and executive powers after dissolving parliament and suspending the constitution, regarding the formation of the “National Consultative Commission for a New Republic” whose mission is to propose a new draft constitution.

The absence of the Labor Union, which enjoys traditional influence in Tunisia, from the national dialogue could threaten its credibility and failure.

Since last July 25, Tunisia has been witnessing a severe political crisis, at which time Saied began imposing exceptional measures, including freezing the competencies of Parliament, issuing legislation by presidential decrees, dismissing the government and appointing new ones.

Most of the political and civil forces in Tunisia reject these measures, and consider them a coup against the constitution.