Tunisian demonstrators came out on the streets on Sunday in support of President Kais Saied and the decisions that he took since last July, reported France 24.
The rallies come as Saied faces criticism over his July 2021 power grab. He sacked the government and suspended parliament before moving on to rule by decree.
The Tunisians gathered in Bourguiba Avenue the epicenter of vast protests that toppled former leader Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011 in response to a call by a pro-Saied alliance.
“We are all Kais Saied,” the banners read.
The demonstrators demanded the prosecution of corrupt politicians, echoing a frequent refrain uttered by the head of state.
Saied’s consolidation of power has increased in recent weeks and taken control of the previously independent judiciary and electoral commission. The Tunisian premier has also threatened to restrict civil society groups, a move that would give him almost total control.
The opposition groups and critics have warned that Saied’s moves mark a shift towards autocracy, threatening the only democracy to have emerged from the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings.
In early May, Saied announced the launch of a national dialogue to help resolve the crisis. The national dialogue did not include critical opposition groups, including the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party.
Saied has rejected calls by main parties, the powerful labor union, and foreign donors for broader talks, saying that dialogue over Tunisia’s political system will be limited to his supporters.
There has been no major crackdown on the opposition or free speech, but the Tunisian president has been increasingly outspoken against the opposition groups.
He is forming a committee to draft a new constitution that he intends to put to a referendum in the summer.
Amid the ongoing political turmoil, Tunisia has also been gripped by a bad social and economic crisis and has sought a loan package from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
