Tunisia: presidential measures must be opportunity for reform,’ says Ennahda

Tunisia’s Ennahda movement called yesterday for the exceptional measures taken by President Kais Saied to be an “opportunity for reform”, Anadolu has reported.

“If this is done, it could be a milestone of the democratic transition,” said the movement’s Shura Council on Facebook. The council’s statement was released after an exceptional consultation session to discuss the general situation in Tunisia, ten days after Saied took controversial measures that have exposed a major political rift in the country.

Ennahda has 53 of the 217 MPs in parliament. It called for dialogue and expressed readiness to make the “necessary concessions” for the return of the democratic path, including early elections.

President Saied dismissed Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi on 25 July and assumed executive powers with the help of a government headed by a PM of his choice. He also froze the parliament for a period of 30 days, suspended MPs’ parliamentary immunity and assumed the role of the Public Prosecutor.

The measures coincided with popular protests demanding the overthrow of the entire political system. The opposition has been accused of failure in light of the ongoing political, economic and health crises.

According to Saied, the exceptional measures that he has taken are based on Article 80 of the constitution and aim at “saving the Tunisian state”. However, the majority of parties, including Ennahda, have described the measures as a “coup against the constitution”. Others have supported Saied’s moves as a way to correct the course of the revolution.

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