US politicians call on Biden to pressure Saied to restore ‘democratic rule’ in Tunisia

US politicians and researchers have called on President Joe Biden to pressure Tunisian President Kais Saied to restore “democratic rule” in the country.

Fifty-one personalities, including ambassadors, former representatives, and academics, sent a letter to the US president, published by the Project on Middle East Democracy website. The letter expresses their growing concern about the situation in Tunisia, which they state is experiencing a “rapid slide back into authoritarianism”.

The letter noted: “Since President Kaïs Saïed’s power grab on July 25, 2021, he has effectively imposed a one-man rule on Tunisia, securing unchecked control over the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government. He has unconstitutionally frozen parliament, shut down the independent National Anti-Corruption Authority, dissolved the Supreme Judicial Council, side-lined the Independent High Authority for Elections (ISIE), and disregarded the country’s prized 2014 democratic constitution.”

“In December, in response to domestic and international pressure, Saïed finally announced a political ‘roadmap’ for the period ahead. The roadmap, however, lacked important detail and was produced unilaterally, without transparency or input from other Tunisian political and civic actors. Far from being a path back to democracy, the roadmap extends Saïed’s unchecked power through at least the end of this year. Saïed’s other anti-democratic actions include prosecuting citizens—some in military trials—for criticising the government, using police brutality against peaceful protesters, and drafting a restrictive new NGO law,” continued the letter.

The letter also stated: “While many Tunisians initially welcomed Saïed’s power grab in the hope that he would resolve the country’s economic malaise and increasing political dysfunction, that support has steadily decreased as months have passed. Saïed has failed to provide a serious plan to address the economic crisis, and he has refused to work with Tunisia’s political parties or civil society (including the Nobel Peace Prize-winning National Dialogue Quartet) to overcome Tunisia’s challenges. A January 2022 poll indicates that pessimism about the country’s future has nearly doubled since July.”

The letter signatories believe that: “The absence of a strong US reaction to Saïed’s assault on democracy may have encouraged him to press forward on his destructive path.”

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