Tunisian President Kais Saied dismissed the country’s Prime Minister and parliament in the early hours of Monday 26 July 2021 in a move that some critics have labelled a ‘coup’. The action follows months of political deadlock, after the most recent parliamentary elections failed to yield a majority, which was exacerbated by sharp criticisms of the country’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. President Saied stated that the action was taken for “social peace… and until we can save the State”. Despite this, there were confirmed reports of military action to surround the Parliament, and the outlook for Tunisia remains uncertain given the sudden shift to executive control.
Yasmine Akirimi, the BIC’s North Africa Analyst said
“Tunisia is venturing into uncharted waters. Saied’s decisions echo long-time popular demands, yet he is relying on a very personal, and certainly hegemonic interpretation of article 80 of the 2014 constitution. This sudden change in the political regime has to be closely monitored by Tunisians themselves, the only counter-power left.”
The BIC will be closely monitoring the situation as it develops.