Rival Tunisian demonstrators rallied for and against President Kais Saied yesterday as the country marks the anniversary of a revolution that sparked the 2011 Arab uprisings but failed to resolve deep economic and social woes.
Saied in July sacked the government, froze parliament and seized far-reaching powers, vowing to hold his “corrupt” political rivals to account.
On Monday, the former constitutional law lecturer prolonged his suspension of parliament until elections in December 2022 and announced a nationwide public consultation to draw up a new constitution.
In response, nearly 1,000 people gathered at a key junction in central Tunis yesterday, chanting slogans against Saied’s “coup d’etat”.
Metal barriers and dozens of security personnel separated them from some 200 Saied supporters who rallied nearby, chanting “the people want the corrupt to go on trial”.
The president’s Islamist-inspired opponents Ennahdha and other lawmakers have bitterly opposed Saied’s moves.
Yesterday marks 11 years since street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself alight in the marginalised town of Sidi Bouzid, sparking a four-week revolt that forced veteran dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali from power.
Saied earlier this month moved the official anniversary of the revolution from January 14 – the date Ben Ali fled into exile – to December 17.
Yesterday Saied congratulated the Tunisian people with a tweet saying “the process (of the revolution) must continue within state institutions and through legislation enabling people to regain their rights to work, freedom and national dignity”.
Supporters of the ‘Citizens Against Coup’ campaign demonstrate against President Kais Saied yesterday in Tunis, on the 11th anniversary of the start of the 2011 revolution.
