It's time to dismiss Tunisia’s Saied, opposition says

Tunisian President Kais Saied wasted all available opportunities for dialogue and it is time for him to be dismissed by parliament, the Secretary-General of the Movement Party told Al-Quds Al-Arabi.

Lamia Al-Khameri said Kais Saied “exceeded even the limits of logic and rationality” through the steps he has taken to orchestrate his coup.

His actions, she explained, “made the presidential order more powerful than the constitution, and canceled the country’s constitution by presidential order. It has become necessary to remove him.”

She added: “Personally, I support Rached Ghannouchi’s resignation from the presidency of Parliament and his deputy chairing Parliament, to give priority to the interest of the country and also to respond to everyone who sees him as part of the crisis.”

READ: Marzouki calls on the Tunisia army to abandon President Saied

“After that, a hypothetical parliamentary session must be called to withdraw confidence from Kais Saied because of his coup against the constitution and the system of government, violating the law and breaching his constitutional oath. I am in favour of holding this session, but after Ghannouchi resigns.”

“I see that the time for dialogue with Saied has passed. The solution now is to isolate him, because two months since the coup have been very costly for Tunisia, its economy, and its image in the world,” she continued.

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.