Tunisia: Washington warns that new constitution could compromise human rights

The US State Department warned on Tuesday that the new Tunisian constitution could “compromise” human and fundamental rights in the North African country. A referendum on the draft document was held yesterday at the insistence of President Kais Saied, who will have near absolute power in Tunisia if it is supported by the majority of citizens who voted.

State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters that the US is concerned that “weakened checks and balances in Tunisia’s new constitution could compromise the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms.” He stressed the need to respect the principle of separation of power, and for electoral law to be both comprehensive and transparent.

Price also said that Washington knew of concerns among civil society organisations and politicians about the lack of an “inclusive and transparent process and the limited scope for genuine public debate during the drafting of the new constitution.”

Saied presented the new draft constitution as an alternative to the 2014 constitution as part of a road map and “emergency measures” that he announced last July, which are supposed to end with a legislative election in December this year. His opponents describe the measures that the president has imposed, including the referendum, as a “coup” because he failed to obtain the approval of the people. Critics point out that 75 per cent of the voters boycotted the referendum yesterday.

According to the Tunisia Workers’ Party, the country will now enter a new phase of “political and social turmoil.” The left-wing party added that, “This will exacerbate the economic and financial crisis, the price of which will be paid by the struggling and impoverished working class, suffering as a result of implementing what’s been dictated by international financial institutions.”

READ: The referendum was a ‘farce’ rejected by 75% of Tunisia