Tunisians elect, Saturday, December 17, a Parliament devoid of real powers during a legislative election boycotted by the opposition after months of political blockages.
President Kaïs Saïed, who seized full powers in July 2021, has increased his appearances in recent days, reassuring traders in the medina of Tunis or inaugurating infrastructure.
The population says it is more concerned about the recurrent shortages of milk, rice or sugar, and about inflation in a Tunisia mired in an economic crisis aggravated by Covid-19 and then by the war in Ukraine.
One of the issues in Saturday's election will be turnout, expected to be very low by experts in a country with nearly 12 million inhabitants – including more than 9 million registered voters.
Young people recently told AFP that they did not feel concerned by a ballot that will elect a "puppet parliament", marginalized by the hyper-presidentialist system put in place over the months by the head of state.
Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed assumes full powers
On the evening of Republic Day, July 25, 2021, after a day of demonstration by Tunisians against their leaders, the Tunisian president, engaged for months in a standoff with the Islamist party Ennahda, invokes article 80 of the Constitution which envisages exceptional measures in the event of "imminent danger" to national security.
Kaïs Saïed dismisses the ministers of the government of Hichem Mechichi, dismisses the Minister of Defense as well as the head of government.
It also announces the suspension of the Assembly and the lifting of the immunity of parliamentarians, the formation of a new government and its decision to govern by decree.
The Tunisian president also decided to extend his power over the judicial system.
Clashes break out in front of the Tunisian Parliament and the army is deployed in the government palace to enforce the authority of the president.
While the soldiers prevent the elected members of Parliament from meeting, the latter qualify the actions of Kaïs Saïed as unconstitutional.
The Ennahda party, meanwhile, denounces a "coup".
00:59
Parliament freeze extended, president retains legislative power
On the night of August 23 to 24, the Tunisian President announced the indefinite extension of the suspension of Parliament.
Kaïs Saïed intends to suspend the Constitution in September, then submit to referendum a new version of the fundamental law.
A month later, he confirmed by decree the extension of the decisions as well as the dissolution of the Provisional Authority responsible for checking the constitutionality of bills.
By granting himself the right to govern by decree, Kaïs Saïed de facto recovers legislative power.
If his decision is criticized by most parties, mainly Ennahda – which had initially tried to calm down by calling for dialogue, in vain.
But he retains the support of the People's Movement, a party in the movement of socialism and Arab nationalism - 16 seats obtained in the Assembly in 2019.
In response, thousands of people – mostly supporters of Ennahda and the Dignity Coalition – demonstrated against his decisions.
01:48
Najla Bouden, responsible for forming a new government
On September 29, Kaïs Saïed instructs Najla Bouden Romdhane, unknown to the general public, to form a new government, two months after the dismissal of the previous cabinet.
This is the first time that a woman has been appointed Prime Minister in Tunisia, although the powers granted to this position have been considerably reduced by the "exceptional measures" adopted by the President, which suspend the application of key chapters of the Constitution.
The main mission of the future government will be, according to the head of state, "to put an end to the corruption and chaos that has spread in many state institutions".
>> To read also: the funny appointment of Najla Bouden as head of the Tunisian government
Demonstrations "against the coup" multiply
From the beginning of October, the dispute escalated.
Under banners announcing "the people against the coup", several thousand people gathered in the streets, particularly in Tunis, to protest against the excesses of President Saïed.
01:47
Kaïs Saïed announces the holding of a referendum planned for the summer of 2022
In a speech to the nation, the Tunisian president extends, on December 13, the suspension of Parliament that he had decided five months earlier, until the holding of new legislative elections in December 2022.
Kaïs Saïed also announces the organization, from January 1, 2022, of a series of popular "consultations" relating in particular to constitutional and electoral amendments.
"Parliament will remain suspended until the organization of new elections," he said then.
This amounts de facto to a dissolution of the Chamber.
“New legislative elections will take place on December 17, 2022 on the basis of a new electoral law”, he adds, referring to a new law as well as constitutional amendments drawn up within the framework of the popular “consultations” planned from January to march.
>> To read also: the announcements of President Kaïs Saïed divide Tunisia
The President dissolves the Superior Council of the Judiciary
On February 13, Kaïs Saïed publishes a new presidential decree aimed at dissolving the Superior Council of the Judiciary (CSM) and replacing it with a new provisional body.
This independent body responsible for appointing judges is accused by the president of being biased and corrupt, and of having slowed down procedures, including investigations into the assassinations of left-wing activists in 2013.
The CSM is replaced by another "temporary" body whose president assumes the power to dismiss judges and forbid them to strike.
In response, more than 2,000 demonstrators gathered in the center of Tunis to express their fears about the independence of the judicial system.
02:08
Parliament dissolves eight months after being suspended
While 120 deputies meet on March 30 during a virtual session to vote for the end of the exceptional measures in force since July 25, Kaïs Saïed dissolves Parliament – an action that is nevertheless unconstitutional during the period when the state of exception is applied – and threatens MPs with legal action.
The announcement, made on public television, comes after the opening of an investigation ordered by the Minister of Justice against members of Parliament accused of "conspiring against state security".
The date of the constitutional referendum is set for July 25, 2022, despite criticism from the opposition.
01:55
Tunisian President Kaïs Saïed during a press conference in Brussels, February 18, 2022. © Johanna Geron, AP
President dismisses 50 judges accused of corruption
As part of a "purge of justice", Kaïs Saïed dismisses, on June 1, 57 judges whom he accuses of corruption.
In a televised address, the president said he had given "warning after warning" to justice to "purify itself".
In vain.
This announcement comes as the Tunisian General Labor Union (UGTT), a powerful union with more than a million members, called for a national strike on June 16 in the public services and sector in the face of the refusal government to raise wages despite inflation.
02:15
Low participation in the referendum, the Constitution approved by more than 96% of the votes
On June 30, Kaïs Saïed proposes a new Constitution supposed to establish a strong executive power.
The text, published in the Official Journal, provides that the "President of the Republic exercises executive power, assisted by a government headed by a head of government" whom he appoints.
This government will not be presented to Parliament to gain confidence.
The president, according to the published draft, will also enjoy vast prerogatives: he is the supreme commander of the armed forces, defines the general policy of the State and ratifies the laws.
It can also submit legislative texts to Parliament, which must examine them "as a matter of priority".
In Chapter 5 of the new Constitution, the President introduced the sentence affirming that Tunisia “is part of the Islamic community” and that “the State must work to achieve the objectives of Islam”.
On July 25, more than 96% of voters voted in favor of "yes", but a very low turnout of registered voters was recorded.
>> To read: referendum in Tunisia: victory of the "yes", failure of a revolution?
01:21
The opposition plans to boycott the legislative elections
Several Tunisian opposition parties announced, last September, their desire not to take part in the legislative elections of December 17 to replace the dissolved Parliament, accusing President Kaïs Saïed of a "coup d'etat".
"The National Salvation Front (a coalition of opposition parties in Tunisia, of which Ennahda is a member, editor's note) has taken the final decision to boycott the next elections", declared Ahmed Néjib Chebbi, leader of the FSN, during a press conference in Tunis.
He explained this decision by the fact that the ballot is organized on the basis of an electoral law which President Kaïs Saïed "monopolizes the drafting".
He explained this decision by the fact that the elections would take place on the basis of an electoral law which President Kaïs Saïed "monopolizes the drafting".
According to this coalition, the elections would be "part of a coup against constitutional legitimacy".
In addition, Ahmed Néjib Chebbi expressed concern about the indefinite postponement of the examination by the IMF - initially scheduled for December 19 - of Tunisia's file, which urgently needs new credit of around 2 billion dollars.
According to the head of the DSF, this postponement "threatens the economic balance of the country".
A new electoral law reduces the role of political parties
Presented in mid-September by Kaïs Saïed, a new electoral law provides that Tunisians will elect their deputies individually and no longer by voting for a list presented by a political party.
A change which, according to observers, can only weaken the influence of political parties.
>> To read: in Tunisia, fears of a drift of Kaïs Saïed towards a plebiscite regime
01:03
At the beginning of December, two weeks before the ballot, the leader of the UGTT criticized the holding of the legislative elections, believing that they had no reason to exist after the disputed reform of the Constitution which reduced the role of political parties.
"We are heading towards elections which have neither taste nor color, which result from a Constitution which was neither participatory [in its elaboration] nor submitted to the approval of the majority", denounced Noureddine Taboubi, leader of the UGTT.
The latter notably criticized the new voting system planned – single-member majority in two rounds – instead of the list system which was in force.
With AFP
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