Tunisian protesters came out on the streets in Tunis on Sunday to protest against a constitutional referendum called by President Kais Saied that is expected to cement his hold on power, reported Reuters.
The mass demonstration was led by the Salvation Front, a coalition that includes the moderate Islamist Ennahda, the largest party in a parliament that Saied dissolved in March. The protesters marched through central Tunis to Avenue Habibi Bourguiba.
On Saturday, a similar protest was called by the Free Constitutional Party over the referendum. There was also a strike on Thursday that was called by a powerful labor union over government economic reform plans, which brought much of the county to a standstill.
The head of the Tunisian constitution committee said on Saturday he will hand over the new draft of what he described as a democratic constitution to the president on Monday, ahead of a July 25 referendum.
The country’s main political parties say they will boycott the referendum. But opposition to Saied remains fragmented.
Last year, President Saied took executive power and dissolved the Tunisian parliament to rule by decree. In February, he dissolved the Supreme Judicial Council, which had acted as the main guarantor of judicial independence since Tunisia’s 2011 revolution.
Later on, in February, the Tunisian president also issued a decree establishing a new provisional judicial council, granting himself additional powers to control the country’s top judicial organization. He claimed that his actions have been necessary to save Tunisia from the country’s political elites and that he does not aim to control the judiciary.
On Saturday, the Tunisian judges extended their national strike for a third week in protest against a decision by Saied to sack 57 judges on June 1.
The president accused them of corruption and protecting terrorists, charges that the Tunisian Judges’ Association said were mostly politically motivated.
