Tunisia: European delegation meets Speaker of Parliament Ghannouchi

A delegation from the European Parliament Committee on Foreign Affairs has met with Rached Ghannouchi in his capacity as Speaker of Parliament, along with his deputies, Samira Chaouachi and Tarek Fetiti, Arabi21 has reported.

Tunisian sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the meeting took place as part of the delegation’s visit to Tunisia to monitor the political crisis caused by the “exceptional measures” introduced by President Kais Saied last July. His political opponents have called the measures a “coup against the Constitution”.

The European parliamentarians affirmed the need to respect the “principles of partnership”, pluralism and representation in the road map announced by Saied. This was confirmed yesterday by the government in Tunis after a meeting between Prime Minister Najla Bouden and the delegation on Monday.

READ: EU support conditional on returning to democracy

The delegation’s visit follows the dissolution of the Tunisian parliament by Saied on 30 March. Saied froze parliamentary activities last July, dismissed the prime minister and started to rule by presidential decree. Despite this, the Europeans affirmed that the EU “stands and supports Tunisia in its reform course in order to strengthen democracy.”

Hours before the dissolution was announced, Tunisian MPs voted in an online session in favour of abolishing Saied’s exceptional measures. The president described this move as a “failed coup attempt”.

Tunisia’s president Kais Saied is bleeding the country – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/Middle East Monitor]