In Tunisia, Ennahda calls for dialogue and says it is ready for early elections

After a day of clashes in front of Tunisia's army-barricaded parliament on Monday (26 July), the situation in Tunis has calmed down. Following President Kaïs Saïed's move to "freeze" the parliament's activities for 30 days and dismiss his prime minister, Hichem Mechichi, on Sunday, the latter said he was ready to hand responsibility to whomever the president chooses as his new premier.

The president took these decisions at a time when the country is hit hard by an economic and social crisis accentuated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Anger arose amongst the main party in parliament, Ennahda, who supports Mechichi and denounced on Monday "a coup against the Revolution and the Constitution".

On Tuesday (27 July), following a meeting held the night before, Ennahda said in a press release that it was ready "for the holding of simultaneous legislative and presidential elections to guarantee the protection of the democratic process, in order to avoid that any delay does not serve as pretext for the maintenance of an autocratic mode". The Islamist party nonetheless continues to denounce “a coup against the Constitution and the institutions".

Ennahda declined to call for protests, asking instead for its supporters to stay home to avoid any violence following Monday's street clashes. In a similarly pacifist manner, the party called for national dialogue to get the country out of the political, social, economic and health crisis.

"We have decided to campaign peacefully to defeat this project (of President Saïed) and we call on the president to reverse this decision," Noureddine B'Hiri, a leader of the Ennahda party, told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Ennahda's desire to avoid any escalation is shared by the international community, which has urged the Tunisian executive to restore the stability and functioning of the country's democratic institutions as soon as possible.

Indeed, several countries have voiced their concern, not only regarding the fragility of Tunisia's democracy, but also in regards to the socio-economic consequences of the current situation. For instance, Italy – one of the main "gateways" to Europe for migrants, especially from the African continent – fears that the protracted crises in Tunisia may result in a drastic increase in migrants arriving from Tunisia. Italian authorities believe numbers could potentially reach up to 15,000 by the end of the year.

According to a source in the Italian Interior Ministry, “the political turmoil could exacerbate the economic crisis in Tunisia, which is already severe due to the impact of the pandemic". In an attempt to avoid such a situation from unfolding, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio immediately called on the EU Commission for help, asking for increased co-operation with Tunisia to solve the local economic crisis and discourage the departure of migrants. Like his French and German counterparts, Di Maio believes the Tunisian crisis can be "solved through democracy".

Also on Tuesday, EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, issued a statement in which he said that the EU was following developments in Tunisia very closely, adding:

"The country’s commitment to democracy, and respect for the rule of law, for the Constitution and for the legislative framework must be maintained, while remaining attuned to the wishes and aspirations of the Tunisian people. We therefore call for institutional stability to be restored as quickly as possible, and in particular for parliamentary activity to resume, for fundamental rights to be respected and for all forms of violence to be avoided.

"We will continue to closely monitor the situation as it develops, while recalling the considerable support that the European Union and its Member States have shown Tunisia in the context of a major pandemic and economic crisis. Preserving democracy and stability in the country is a priority."

 

source: commonspace.eu with Agence France-Presse (Paris) and agencies
photo: protests in Tunisia; picture courtesy of al Jazeera, Doha

Related articles

Editor's choice
News
Borrell tells the European Parliament that the situation in Afghanistan was critical, but the EU will remain engaged

Borrell tells the European Parliament that the situation in Afghanistan was critical, but the EU will remain engaged

Borrell underlined that the European Union will make every effort to support the peace process and to remain a committed partner to the Afghan people. "Of course, we will have to take into account the evolving situation, but disengagement is not an option.  We are clear on that: there is no alternative to a negotiated political settlement, through inclusive peace talks.
Editor's choice
News
Dunya Mijatovic: "Entrenched harmful stereotypes and prejudice against LGBTI people still prevail in segments of Georgian society, including some politicians"

Dunya Mijatovic: "Entrenched harmful stereotypes and prejudice against LGBTI people still prevail in segments of Georgian society, including some politicians"

On March 27, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, issued a statement calling on the Georgian government to “fully respect” its human rights obligations as a Council of Europe member state, “including with regard to the protection of the human rights of LGBTI people,” in response to the ruling party’s initiation of two draft constitutional laws on “family values and the protection of minors.” “I am concerned about the present political discourse in Georgia, as illustrated by the announcement made by the Georgian Dream Party of their initiative to amend the Constitution and to adopt a new constitutional law on ‘Protection of Family Values and Underaged Persons’. It is reflective of entrenched harmful stereotypes and prejudice against LGBTI people which still prevail in segments of Georgian society, including some politicians, and is capable of having a strong, negative impact on the human rights, safety and well-being of LGBTI people and defenders of their rights. It also represents the political manipulation of LGBTI-phobia in the run-up to elections, which I have previously condemned, and which should have no place in a democratic society, based on the rule of law and respect for human rights of everyone.

Popular

Editor's choice
News
Dunya Mijatovic: "Entrenched harmful stereotypes and prejudice against LGBTI people still prevail in segments of Georgian society, including some politicians"

Dunya Mijatovic: "Entrenched harmful stereotypes and prejudice against LGBTI people still prevail in segments of Georgian society, including some politicians"

On March 27, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatović, issued a statement calling on the Georgian government to “fully respect” its human rights obligations as a Council of Europe member state, “including with regard to the protection of the human rights of LGBTI people,” in response to the ruling party’s initiation of two draft constitutional laws on “family values and the protection of minors.” “I am concerned about the present political discourse in Georgia, as illustrated by the announcement made by the Georgian Dream Party of their initiative to amend the Constitution and to adopt a new constitutional law on ‘Protection of Family Values and Underaged Persons’. It is reflective of entrenched harmful stereotypes and prejudice against LGBTI people which still prevail in segments of Georgian society, including some politicians, and is capable of having a strong, negative impact on the human rights, safety and well-being of LGBTI people and defenders of their rights. It also represents the political manipulation of LGBTI-phobia in the run-up to elections, which I have previously condemned, and which should have no place in a democratic society, based on the rule of law and respect for human rights of everyone.