Tunisia: labour union calls for dissolution of parliament

The Tunisian General Labour Union (UGTT) called yesterday on President Kais Saied to dissolve the suspended parliament and hold an early parliamentary election.

UGTT secretary general Noureddine Taboubi told Mosaïque FM that the solution to the country’s current crisis is to “dissolve parliament and hold an early legislative election.” He criticised what he described as “Saied’s hesitation” so he can give reassurances to foreigners.

“Rebuilding a country has to be in partnership with civil society and all the national forces,” Taboubi pointed out. He stressed that his union supports the measures that Saied took last July in a move described by his political opponents as a “coup” against the constitution.

Parliamentary sources told Al-Quds Al-Arabi that the Tunisia Court of First Instance has rejected a complaint filed by the Free Destourian Party against calls by the Speaker of Parliament, Rached Ghannouchi, to hold an online parliamentary session today. MPs are planning to discuss moves to cancel the decrees issued by Saied since he suspended parliament last year.

However, Taboubi responded by saying: “Whoever calls for another legitimacy, we say to them, check yourselves. Of course, we are against the parliamentary meeting called for by Rached Ghannouchi.” Such people are “mistaken,” he added. “Tunisia is not split between east and west.”

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