Thousands of Tunisian demonstrators came out on the streets to protest against President Kais Saied, demanding a return to the normal democratic order, reported Reuters. The protesters continue to reject his replacement of the independent electoral commission with one he named himself.
“The people want democracy” and “Saied has led the country to starvation” were two slogans chanted by the protesters at the main rally in central Tunis on Sunday.
A co-ordinator from the Citizens against the Coup coalition, which is one of the leading protest organisers, told the state broadcaster that they rejected the country’s new constitution that was drawn up unilaterally by Mr Saied.
The protest groups said that the protests would continue in the form of sit-ins, marches and hunger strikes in the coming days.
Mr. Saied seized executive power in July last year, dismissing the Tunisian parliament, moving to rule by decree and saying he will replace the democratic constitution through a referendum. He denies a coup, saying his intervention was crucial to save Tunisia from years of political paralysis and economic stagnation.
Mr Saied has a series of moves expanding his powers and dismantling elected institutions since last year, when he suspended parliament. He even replaced a judicial council that guaranteed judges’ independence and the independent electoral commission, casting doubt on the integrity of both the legal process and of elections.
The Tunisian premier 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.
Earlier this month, he announced a plan for a new republic in Tunisia which would be put to referendum on 25 July.
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).
