The opposition National Salvation Front in Tunisia announced today, Tuesday, the start of a stage of struggle against what it called President Kais Saied's coup against democracy and his "populist project that seeks to destroy state institutions."
In a press conference attended by opponents, the National Salvation Front asserted that it was time for the living forces to come together to confront the populist onslaught that is undermining society.
The Front stressed that "the coup confused the performance of the state and its organs, which led to the stagnation of the economy and the reduction of job opportunities," and added that the regime returned to forced detention, prevented public meetings, and framed charges to liquidate opponents.
Front head Ahmed Najib al-Shabi said that the dialogue announced by President Saeed proved its failure, and "everyone who has weight in this country has given up on him."
The National Salvation Front includes the Ennahda Movement, the Hope Party, Qalb Tounes and Citizens Against the Coup, in addition to political and popular entities and currents that reject the political project of Kais Saied.
President Saeed had suspended the Tunisian parliament last year and later dissolved it, dismissed the elected government, assumed executive authority and dissolved the Supreme Judicial Council and formed an alternative council.
Political parties and currents saw these exceptional measures as a coup against the constitution and an attempt to kill democracy and the gains of the Tunisian revolution.
front and field
Chebbi pledged to achieve victory over the president's project "soon", saying that this front is the force of the future of democracy, and it gathers to defend institutions and the constitution, and we will build them in the field.
Chebbi stressed that "there is no third way: either the coup of Kais Saied or the constitution. Enough with patriotism, and the president is fleeing forward and we are here to block and prevent it."
"President Said's confusion reminds me of the last phase of President Bourguiba's regime. The past months have been full of trials and malicious accusations, and the president has gone too far," he said.
As for the front's member, Riyadh Al-Shuaibi, he saluted the honorable judges who refused to submit to the instructions.
He said that President Kais Saied is advancing his project isolated without a popular support.
Front member Samira Chawashi stressed that Tunisia has no choice but democracy, "and for 10 months we knew the nature of the coup."
She said that the coup authority had become isolated after the democratic street was liberated from shackles.