Former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki called on Tunisians to boycott the referendum scheduled for next July 25, while former Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali was transferred to intensive care days after his arrest by the security authorities.
Marzouki described, in a video speech broadcast on Facebook yesterday, Saturday, next month as a milestone in the history of the Tunisian people, stressing the need to stop what he called the coup and restore the democratic path in the country.
He called for increasing citizens' resistance to the coup to the utmost, pointing to the strike carried out by the Tunisian Labor Union, the ongoing strike of judges, as well as the demonstrations organized by political forces to reject the actions of President Said.
Al-Marzouki warned that the country is at a crossroads, "either the victory of President Qais Saeed, which would be a disaster for the country, or stopping the coup and prosecuting those responsible, and restoring the democratic path."
Last Wednesday, Tunisian President Kais Saied discussed with Prime Minister Najla Boden the ongoing preparations for organizing a referendum on a new constitution.
In preparation for the organization of the referendum, the Tunisian authorities launched on the fourth of this June the national dialogue sessions with the aim of getting out of the political crisis in the country, amid a large boycott of the political and trade union forces in the country.
Jabali Health
On the other hand, lawyer and leader of the National Salvation Front, Samir Dilo, said that former Prime Minister Hammadi al-Jabali, who has been detained for 3 days, was transferred to the intensive care unit.
Al-Jabali's defense committee had announced earlier that he had started a hunger strike since his arrest.
The Ministry of Interior stated in a press conference the day before yesterday, Friday, that the arrest of Al-Jabali came within the framework of the investigation into the file of the Namaa Charitable Association, headed by his brother-in-law, against the background of suspicions of money laundering and receiving huge funds from abroad.
Jebali's lawyers deny any connection to this case.
The Tunisian opposition, including the largest party, Ennahda, accuses President Said, who has dissolved parliament and constitutional bodies and is preparing to submit a new constitution to a referendum, of seeking to put his hand on the judiciary and besiege his political opponents.
judges strike
In a related context, the judges' unions in Tunisia said in a joint statement on Saturday that the judges decided to extend their national strike for a fourth week, in protest against President Said's decision to dismiss dozens of them.
The President of the Republic dismissed 57 judges on June 1, accusing them of corruption and protecting terrorists, accusations that the Tunisian Judges Association said were mostly politically motivated.
Since July 25, 2021, Tunisia has been experiencing a severe political crisis when President Said began imposing exceptional measures, including dismissing the government, appointing others, dissolving Parliament and the Judicial Council, and issuing legislation by judicial decrees.
He also decided to hold a popular referendum on a new constitution for the country on July 25, and to expedite the parliamentary elections to be held on December 17.
Tunisian forces consider these measures a coup against the constitution, while other forces see them as a correction to the course of the 2011 revolution. President Saeed said that his measures are measures within the framework of the constitution to protect the state from imminent danger.