Tunisia president accuses parties of recruiting foreign mercenaries

Tunisian President Kais Saied accused parties that he did not name of trying to bring mercenaries from abroad.

Saied said in a video published on the presidency’s page: “We will stay faithful to our promise as long as we still can breath and our heart beats. We are not afraid of blame, and no matter who is trying to manoeuvre and buy some mercenaries and bring them from abroad.”

Regarding the travel bans imposed on a number of personalities, Saied reiterated that the decision “does not include many people, but rather those who had active cases in courts and are accused of seizing public funds.”

The president claimed that the country’s state institutions are functioning normally, “after the Tunisians regained their confidence in these facilities.”

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The President justified resorting to Article 80 of the constitution to freeze parliament after what he described as an “imminent, pernicious, and fatal danger.”

On 25 July, Tunisian President Kais Saied cited Article 80 of the constitution to dismiss Prime Minister Hicham Mechichi, freeze the work of parliament for 30 days, lift the immunity of ministers, and appoint himself as head of the executive authority until the formation of a new government.

This comes after violent protests broke out in several Tunisian cities criticising the government’s handling of the economy and the coronavirus. Demonstrators had called for parliament to be dissolved.

The majority of the country’s political parties slammed the move as a “coup against the constitution” and the achievements of the 2011 revolution.

Saied has, as yet, not appointed a new prime minister.

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