Tunisian union rejects dialogue without Saied or Ennahda

The Assistant Secretary-General of the Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT), Samir Cheffi, denied his organisation’s approval of carrying out any national dialogue that excludes the President of the Republic Kais Saied or the Ennahda Movement.

Cheffi denounced calls by some national parties and figures to hold a national dialogue based on the exclusion of the president and Ennahda.

“The positions of the UGTT are firm and clear, and it is not possible to propose a dialogue that generates a crisis, while the country suffers from a political, economic and social crisis,” the official said.

He explained that “dialogue is the most effective and shortest way to resolve the crisis and to overcome it.”

The Assistant Secretary-General criticised the calls by some persons for dialogue without the participation of the elected president, stressing that “calls like this contain a hidden desire to perpetuate the crisis rather than to overcome it, so how can an elected president be excluded?”

“The position of our Union is clear, it is based on the rule of non-exclusion of the national democratic forces that renounce violence and corruption, and as long as these issues are not disclosed or proven, it is likely to be invalid.”

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Cheffi added: “We do not sit with persons who are linked with terrorism and corruption, but the final word remains with the judiciary, which has to prove the validity of these charges by confirming or denying them.”

“No one can be excluded except for those who exclude themselves or those against whom a court ruling has been issued.”

Saied has held nearly total power since 25 July when he sacked the prime minister, suspended parliament and assumed executive authority citing a national emergency.

He appointed a prime minister on 29 September and a government has since been formed. Last month, Saied announced that a referendum will be held on 25 July to consider ‘constitutional reforms’ and elections would follow in December 2022.

Earlier this week Saied suspended the Supreme Judicial Council which is tasked with ensuring the independence of  the courts.

The majority of the country’s political parties have slammed Saied’s moves as a “coup against the constitution” and the achievements of the 2011 revolution. Critics say Saied’s decisions have strengthened the powers of the presidency at the expense of parliament and the government, and that he aims to transform the country’s government into a presidential system.

On more than one occasion, Saied, who began a five-year presidential term in 2019, said that his exceptional decisions are not a coup, but rather measures within the framework of the constitution to protect the state from “imminent danger”.