Kais Saied announces referendum and elections for next year
At the end of July Tunisian politics took a turn that many described as a "coup d'état". Kais Saied decided to suspend parliamentary powers and assume full powers, in his opinion, in order to "save the country". At the same time, he dismissed the prime minister and it was not until the end of September that he entrusted Najla Bouden with the formation of a new government, putting an end to two months of uncertainty. Now, with a government in place, the Tunisian president has announced that a referendum will be held on 25 July - curiously, the anniversary of his "coup d'état".
This news has not come on its own, as Saied has also assured that parliamentary elections, long awaited by Tunisian society since the suspension of parliament, will take place at the end of 2022. In fact, the roadmap that Kais Saied has now finally announced is something that was planned to be announced much earlier, but that the delay in appointing the new executive has delayed until the end of the year. This delay in decision-making has aroused some concern among the population, which, according to observers, does not see the country as being able to deal with the crisis that has hit Tunisia's economy.
It should be recalled that parliament will remain suspended until 17 December next year, when Tunisians will be able to elect a new executive. Saied assured in his speech that they want to "correct the paths of the revolution and history" and that the only way to do so is to follow the steps announced in his speech on Monday. One of the most important of these will be the drafting of a new constitution by a committee of experts which, he announced, will be ready by June, a month before the referendum scheduled for the end of July.
The main problem the country still has to solve is financial support from other states or institutions. Debt repayment and next year's budgets are blocked due to the economic crisis that is weighing so heavily on the country and which, unless the international stance changes significantly, will continue to run aground in the coming months. One of those that has so far refused to show financial support to Tunisia has been the International Monetary Fund, which says it has no intention of intervening until it sees what it calls an "inclusive" approach.
Kais Saied's speech with the announcement of the referendum and the elections has not managed to calm the tense situation that has surrounded the country for months. Neither the international community sees sufficient guarantees to show strong support, as reflected by the IMF, nor are his opponents and trade unions convinced by the president's measures. Mohammed Abou, a lawyer and former Tunisian minister, said in a television interview that Saied's "violation of the constitution" was a coup d'état and that the decisions he is taking will not change the authoritarian course that, he says, began with the suspension of parliamentarians and the assumption of full powers in July of this year.
