Tunisia president suspends work in state institutions

Tunisian President Kais Saied yesterday suspended work at public institutions for two days starting today, Anadolu news agency reported.

The Tunisian presidency said in a statement that Saied also imposed a month-long night curfew banning people and vehicles from the streets from 7pm-6am with immediate effect until 27 August.

Only the police and army will continue to operate as normal over the next 48 hours, the presidential decree said.

Earlier on Sunday, Saied suspended the immunity of all members of parliament and dismissed the government of Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi.

He claimed that he had taken action after consulting with Mechichi and Parliament Speaker Rached Ghannouchi.

However, the Tunisian parliament and Ghannouchi issued a statement slamming Saied’s decisions.

The president’s moves came following protests that erupted in several Tunisian governorates demanding the government be ousted, accusing it of failing to tackle the ongoing political, economic and health crises affecting the country.

READ: Ghannouchi urges Tunisians to reclaim their revolution